Israeli minister orders hepatitis B vaccine for survivors of suicide bomb attacks

J. Siegel-Itzkovich
2001 BMJ (Clinical Research Edition)  
The rate of decline in new cases of AIDS in the United States has slowed substantially, according to statistics released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at its 2001 national HIV prevention conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The number of new cases and deaths per quarter-about 10 000 and 4000 respectivelyhas remained about the same since July 1998. Deaths related to AIDS declined only by 8% from 1998 to 1999, compared with a decline of 42% from 1996 to1997. Moreover,
more » ... te treatment advances, AIDS continues to be deadly. Of the 774 467 Americans with an AIDS diagnosis by 30 December 2000, 448 060 (58%) have died. Rates of decline varied by race and ethnicity. The largest decreases in the incidence of AIDS were among American Indians/Alaskan Natives and white Americans (16% and 15% respectively). A much smaller decrease (3%) was seen in African Americans. However, the largest number of new AIDS cases were among African Americans and Hispanic people. These two groups constituted 47% and 19% respectively of the 42156 people in whom AIDS was diagnosed during 2000. Additionally, of the 196 children in whom an AIDS diagnosis was reported in 2000, 65% were African Americans and 17% Hispanic. Sex between males continued to be the predominant means of HIV transmission in US men (53%), whereas most US women acquired the infection through heterosexual intercourse. Use of injected drugs declined as a transmission route in women. On the bright side, perinatal AIDS cases have reached an all time low and paediatric cases continue to decline. The number of infants who contracted HIV from their mothers fell by 84% since reaching a peak in 1992.
doi:10.1136/bmj.323.7310.417b fatcat:3vo72itr6fh35eigixvnpvd45i