
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, March 11, 1991                   TAG: 9103110181
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

AIDS VIRUS LIKELY TO HIT 3 MILLION

More than 3 million people in the Western Hemisphere will be infected with the AIDS virus by the mid-1990s, largely because the epidemic is spreading rapidly in Latin America, the World Health Organization reported in a study to be released today.

The rate of new infections appears to be slowing in North America, where about 1 million people have been stricken with the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. But the current 1 million cases in Latin America and the Caribbean are expected to double in the next five years, the health organization said. It attributed this growth primarily to an anticipated surge in both Central and South America.

WHO previously has estimated that HIV infections may strike 20 million people worldwide by the end of this century, with 90 percent of the cases developing in Third World countries.

Hiroshi Nakajima, director-general of WHO, said efforts to restrain the spread of AIDS must begin immediately in this hemisphere.

"Judging from the explosive spread of HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa, now is the time to marshal all available resources to curb the AIDS epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean," Nakajima said.

Of the estimated 2 million people in the Western Hemisphere who are already infected with the virus, about a half-million have developed AIDS. HIV infects and severely weakens the human immune system. An HIV infection is considered to have advanced into AIDS when symptoms appear.

Infections are found mainly in urban areas in the Western Hemisphere, with the incidence of infection remaining low in rural areas, according to the report.

Dr. Ann Marie Kimball of the Pan American Health Organization, a branch of WHO, said that even in Latin America, where infection rates are rising, the per-capita incidence of the virus is "quite a bit lower" than in the United States, where the Centers for Disease Control reports that 164,129 people have developed AIDS, with 102,803 dying since 1981.

She expressed optimism that efforts to promote "safe sex," reduce illicit drug use and protect blood supplies could slow the infection rate in Latin America. But many nations need financial help to support their efforts, she said.

by CNB