We have made unthinkable progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Where do we go from here?

On May 31, 2011, NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. delivered a special lecture to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first reported cases of what is now known as AIDS. The lecture took place in Masur Auditorium on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. During his talk, Dr. Fauci, who has been closely involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS since it began, described his personal experiences as a physician, leading HIV/AIDS researcher, and scientific administrator.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Since HIV was first discovered in 1983, medical experts and scientists have grappled with how to best treat the condition. In the 40 years since, there have been significant advancements in treatment that have lengthened lifespans, made identification of the virus easier, and improved the quality of life for those living with HIV and subsequent AIDS diagnoses if patients do not remain in care.

Over the past four decades, a diagnosis of HIV has evolved from essentially a death sentence to what is considered a manageable chronic condition. From the first identification of the virus that causes AIDS, it would take four years to develop and gain FDA approval for the first medication treatment, called AZT.

AZT had been originally developed to treat cancer but was found to be effective in interrupting the HIV-infected cells’ ability to make new viruses and was hailed as a game changer, proving that HIV was treatable. However, it…

Read full story, and more, from Source: We have made unthinkable progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Where do we go from here?