Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: An Upcoming Menace in Women & Children

\\omcn and children constitute a vulnerable group as till' as acqllircd imlllunc deficiency syndrome (A IDS) is conccrned. (I). The epidemiology, natural history and prelentive measures suggest that AIDS may be a different epidemic in these groups. AIDS is caused by a lenlil irus, human (mmune deficiency virus (HIV). Two major types are HIV-I and HIV-2. I-IIV-I is more prevalcnt of the two with I-IIV-2 being found mainly in Central Africa and South-East Asia. '0' and 'M' are two major groups of IIIV -I with' M' being further divided into eight sub-groups from' A' to '1-1'. These sub-groups are also called clades. Clade' 8' is the predominent form in Europe and North America whereas clades '8' and '(' 9,cd<l",i\\ate i\\ South-East Asia. It is estimated that 34 million people are infected with HIV worldwide (2). \boul 12 Illillion people died of AIDS in 1997, onefourth ofll hich were children (3,4). An estimated 16,000 !t?!<.>C{I<X/soccureac1> day worldwide (5). Mere presence of IIlV lirus in body is not AIDS. Counts of CD4' J,lmphoc)tes Jess than 200htl or AIDS indicator infections should be present in addition (6). Assays for Ihedcleclion of HI V load or estimation ofCD4+ counts arc not readily available in developing countries. The nced for these is obviated in the WHO case definition for AIDS surveillance (7). Epidemiology