It has been more than 20 years since the first AIDS report was published in June 1981. Although people’s understanding of AIDS is increasing day by day, they have not been able to find effective prevention and treatment drugs. As a terminal illness in the 20th century, AIDS is still a lingering shadow on the human head, with more than 40 million people infected with HIV worldwide. In the new century, conquering AIDS is one of the most urgent tasks in the world.
AIDS is a transliteration of the English acronym "AIDS" for "acquired immunodeficiency syndrome". HIV is a lifelong infection, which destroys people’s immune system and makes people lose their ability to resist various diseases.
In 1983, French scholar L. Montagni Ai isolated a related virus from the lymph nodes of patients, which was called lymphadenopathy-associated virus. In the same year, American scholar Gallo isolated the same virus from patients. It was later proved that the above virus was the pathogen of AIDS. In 1986, the International Committee on Virus Classification suggested that the new virus be named human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV is a retrovirus, with a single strand RNA at the core and an envelope outside. HIV is sensitive to heat and can be inactivated in 30 minutes at 56 degrees Celsius.
At present, anti-virus drugs are mainly used in the clinical treatment of AIDS. Nucleoside drugs were first used in 1987. In 1994, a protease inhibitor was introduced. After 4 to 5 years’ research, it has been gradually introduced to the clinic. In 1995, Professor He Dayi, a Chinese-American, invented the famous "cocktail therapy", in which protease inhibitors were mixed with other antiviral drugs, and the drugs were given when HIV just invaded the human body, so as to prevent the virus from damaging the human immune system before the onset of the disease. Although it can’t achieve the goal of eradicating AIDS, this therapy has been able to effectively control the development of AIDS patients.
In order to defeat AIDS, the international community has made great efforts. On January 1, 1996, the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS was formally established in Geneva, sponsored by six United Nations agencies. Its main task is to lead and widely support activities aimed at preventing the spread of AIDS, make more effective use of the resources of the United Nations system, reduce the vulnerability and susceptibility of individuals, communities and special groups to AIDS, and reduce the harm caused by the AIDS epidemic. China is one of the earliest members of the Planning and Coordination Office, the highest administrative body of UNAIDS, and the first developing country to donate to the organization. In order to exchange experiences and achievements in time, formulate strategies and coordinate work, the International AIDS Society has organized an annual "International AIDS Conference" since 1985, and the number of delegates in recent sessions has reached more than 10,000.
At present, the number of HIV-infected people in developed countries is stabilizing or beginning to decline, while the number of infected people in developing countries is growing rapidly. According to statistics, 95% of AIDS patients in the world live in developing countries.
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