[Confronting AIDS. Prevention programs and therapeutic strategies]

HIV pathology and AIDS patterns represent a topical and serious reality. Now AIDS syndrome affects many types of population all ever the world. These types have different epidemiologic ratings according to the localization of the countries (3rd world or developed areas). Global Programme on AIDS (GPA) had a rapid development from its beginning (February 1987) with the aid of more than 150 national programs; in fact a lot of countries have developed and applied their own AIDS projects. OMS helped these programs giving indications and informative material about: promotion of health, check-up of HIV infections, prevention, epidemiologic control, services for laboratory and transfusion centres, treatment in general and counselling activities. Therefore it is very important to integrate medical activities and every intervention on AIDS in every sanitary and social service. To fight this dramatic reality, we must operate on two fronts: the first is the prevention and the second is the correct diagnostic and therapeutic approach. These are the purposes of medicine in general and odontostomatology in particular.