Paediatric HIV infection--diagnostic and epidemiological aspects

There are currently more than 1.3 million children living with HIV in the world today and many more who have been orphaned by the epidemic. This review explores the nature of the widening gap in the experience of HIV infection between high- and low-income countries. The global epidemiology is described, highlighting the burden carried by sub-Saharan Africa and the alarming increase being witnessed in the Asia/Pacific region. Most of these infections are acquired vertically and are now largely preventable in well-resourced settings, and finding and implementing appropriate measures in poorer countries is urgently needed. Finally the ability to diagnose paediatric HIV infection is explored, highlighting the difference in the implications of doing so in settings with limited resources.