Here is a short chronology of AIDS developments:
•1981 - Outbreaks of two rare illnesses are reported among young homosexual men in the United States.
•1981-1983 - Scientists start to recognize the emergence of a new disease that destroys the immune system.
• 1984 - The Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV, is identified as the cause of the
disease.
• 1985 - Scientists develop a diagnostic test for the virus. The first world AIDS conference is held in Atlanta, Ga.
•1987 - AZT, the first treatment for HIV, is launched.
•1988 - Dec. 1 is designated as World AIDS Day.
•1991- The drug Videx is launched.
•1994-1995 - Zerit (d4T) and Epivir (3TC) are launched, increasing the choice of treatments.
•1996 - Triple drug cocktails including protease inhibitors that block the replication of HIV in the body are revealed at the 11th world AIDS conference in Vancouver.
• 1997 - Highly
active anti-retroviral therapy is launched, leading to an 80 per cent fall in death rates related to AIDS in the west by 2003.
•1998 - Scientists image the crystalline structure of the gp120
protein the HIV virus uses to break into the immune system cells it attacks.
• 1999 - A chimpanzee named Marilyn helps confirm that the AIDS virus first passed into people from chimps.
• 2000 - Five top drug companies agree to slash the price of HIV and AIDS treatments for developing countries.
•2001 - The UN General Assembly approves a detailed blueprint to tackle
AIDS. It sets timetables for countries to implement strategies for education, prevention and treatment.
•2002 - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is set up.
•2003
- On World AIDS Day, the WHO and UN-AIDS launch an initiative aimed at providing anti-retroviral treatment to three million people living with AIDS by 2005
•2004 - Researchers announce that a
cheap three-in-one generic AIDS pill is just as good as more expensive medicines and should be used i developing countries.
2004 - Scientists announce the disturbing news that a person can
harbour more than one type of HIV virus making the quest for a vaccine even more challenging.
SOURCE: REUTERS+ Chadzboyz updates
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