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people in the UK, and worldwide it is 1 in 150 people.

The HIV virus can only begin to reproduce when the host CD4+ cell is activated' or when it starts to divide to form more cells. Then the viral DNA will turn back into RNA, which will be in turn converted into viral proteins- these will move into the cell membrane and begin to reproduce. Among these proteins is the enzyme protease, which breaks the proteins down into polyproteins. These assemble to form new virions' which leave from the cell membrane into the bloodstream to infect other CD4+.

When HIV infects a cell, its reproduction process destroys it. As HIV infects more of the CD4+, and those get destroyed, eventually all of the cells that die cannot be replaced. This is when it becomes AIDS, or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome'.

Without sufficient numbers of CD4+ cells, the immune system cannot function wellthis is immunodeficiency. When AIDS develops, the body becomes vulnerable to rare illnesses and to serious infection from organisms that usually do not cause sickness in healthy people.

Complicated, you might say. But that is the main problem. The process that the virus takes to infect the host is baffling, and to find ways of preventing the spread of HIV and stopping it becoming AIDS difficult.However some methods are being looked into, many foundations (Pharmaceutical and otherwise) are now beginning to realise the importance of finding a cure. For example, antiretroviral drugs that prevent reverse transcriptase from converting the RNA to DNA, and fusion inhibitors' that stop the HIV from entering the cell.

However, the greatest problem is not finding a cure. In our world today, corruption and prejudice is rife. The inequality between peoples existence determines who is affected the worst. When it comes to stopping the spread we cannot just address the cure alone- resolving the largest problems can lead to solving the smallest' one of them all.

As Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations said on World AIDS day 2003; "That is why we must continue to speak up openly about AIDS. No progress will be achieved by being timid, refusing to face unpleasant facts, or prejudging our fellow human beings. Let no one imagine that we can protect ourselves by building barriers between "us" and "them" in that world, silence is death Join me, because the fight against HIV/AIDS begins with you."

Bibliography

Special thanks to
Roche HIV- www.roche-hiv.com
UN Aids Foundation- www.unaids.org
For the statistics in the UK:
http://www.dhiverse.org.uk/ _factsAndFigures.htm
Quote from Kofi Annans speech credited to:
http://www.indianngos.com/i ssue/hiv/preview/kofiannanspee ch.htm

Pictures:
HIV- cross-section:
http://213.52.15 9.219//images/fig%20H1.jpg
HIV- a retrovirus :
http://www.hiv.ch/pictures/ho mepic/bild.jpg

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