HIV Death Rate Has Decreased!

According to a recent study, published in the medical journal JAMA, a significant decrease in mortality rates among people infected with HIV has been obtained since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in developed countries.

Krishnan Bhaskaran, from London Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit, led a study in which researchers and scientists evaluated if HIV-infected individuals mortality rares have changed with respect to the expected mortality for the general uninfected population. The study represents a large multinational effort to assess the changes in HIV mortality rates.

More than 16000 people infected with HIV were evaluated in 2006. Of these, 2,571 individuals had died (as of December 2006). A general population group would have achieved 235 deaths in the same period of time.

If you take data an calculate the excess mortality rate per 1000 person per year, that is how many people would die (because of HIV) in a year per 1000 people, you would find that before 1996 (before the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy) that excess death rate was 40.8 (per 1000 people). This excess mortality rate due to HIV has been decreasing significantly. For the period of 2004-2006 that excess mortality rate has been only 6.1. As you can see there has been a significant decrease in mortality rates due to HIV infections.

Experts has estimated that as of January 2006, the HIV virus has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized on December 1, 1981. This makes HIV the most destructive pandemics in recorded history. Currently there is no vaccine or cure for HIV or AIDS. Prevention is the culprit in the HIV disease.