Prevention Overview
The public health disaster known as the HIV/AIDS pandemic has emerged over
the last 20 years and is now officially recognized as the deadliest epidemic
of infectious disease in medical history.
More than 25 million have died worldwide and another 40 million are estimated
to be infected.
The great majority of these HIV infections have occurred during a period when
the cause was known, routes of transmission identified, and means of prevention
understood.
For more information visit the HIV statistics area
of the site.
"With 10 new HIV infections occurring every minute of every day, the best hope
for arresting this pandemic is a safe and effective preventative vaccine. The
IHV's Epidemiology and Prevention Division is focusing its research on achieving
this goal," says Dr. William A. Blattner, director.
 The
Institute's HIV Vaccine Trials Unit, which conducts preventative vaccine trials
in collaboration with the IHV's Division of Clinical Care and Research, is funded
by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and is the largest
worldwide network for conducting HIV preventative vaccine trials.
Though there currently is no proven HIV vaccine, there are many candidates
being tested and some of the more promising candidates are being developed by
basic researchers of IHV’s Division of
Basic Science and Vaccine Research.
Project Brave is the Institute's preventative
vaccine community outreach and education program and provides information about
what is involved in becoming a vaccine volunteer as well as a wealth of information
about preventative HIV vaccines and how they work.
Because HIV disproportionately affects the disadvantaged in Baltimore and countries
with limited resources for combating the epidemic, the Institute of Human Virology
undertakes activities domestically and internationally to understand the impact
of HIV in these diverse populations.
The Baltimore
City Council Commission on HIV and AIDS Report (Interim Report - 2005) (1.1MB,
24 pgs.) ,
developed with substantial input from IHV scientists, provides an in-depth summary
of HIV and AIDS in Baltimore. Globally, the IHV's Epidemiology and Prevention
Division conducts international HIV studies and AIDS prevention vaccine trials
in the Caribbean and in Africa, for instance, and coordinates training for advanced
degrees, as well as short-term training for countries of the Caribbean, Brazil,
Mali and Nigeria.
"To put an end to the AIDS epidemic," says Blattner, "we must form partnerships
domestically and internationally, provide training to those who can make a difference,
and engage the global community to join the vaccine and prevention effort."
Baltimore City Commission on HIV/AIDS Treatment
and Prevention Reports:
Viewing & printing this report requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can
be downloaded
free from the Adobe site.
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