On June 5, 1981, the first cases of an illness subsequently
defined as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were
reported by health-care providers in California and CDC (1). As
of May 31, 1991, state and local health departments had reported
to CDC 179,136 AIDS cases among persons of all ages in the United
States. By the end of 1991, AIDS will be the second leading cause
of death among men 25--44 years of age and is likely to be one of
the five leading causes of death among women aged 15--44 years in
the United States (2).
The World Health Organization estimates that 8--10 million
adults and 1 million children worldwide are infected with human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the etiologic agent of AIDS. By the
year 2000, 40 million persons may be infected with HIV (3). More
than 90% of these persons will reside in developing countries in
sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Latin America, and
the Caribbean. In addition, during the 1990s, mothers or both
parents of more than 10 million children will have died from HIV
infection/AIDS.
AIDS will remain a major public health challenge worldwide
in the 21st century. Education of all persons about AIDS to
prevent transmission of HIV infection is critical to controlling
this problem.
Reported by: Technical Information Activity, Div of HIV/AIDS,
Center for Infectious Diseases, CDC.
CDC. Mortality attributable to HIV infection/AIDS---United
States, 1981--1990. MMWR 1991;40:41--4.
World Health Organization. In point of fact. Geneva: World
Health Organization, May 1991 (no. 74).
*Single copies of this article will be available free until June
7, 1992, from the National AIDS Information Clearinghouse, P. O.
Box 6003, Rockville, MD 20850; telephone (800) 458-5231.
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