Worldwide HIV screening scheme could abolish Aids

Published on Sunday 21 February 2010 22:03

A GLOBAL mass-population screening programme could rid the world of Aids in 40 years.

A leading health expert says that testing most of the world's population for HIV then treating the infected would halt transmission of the virus by 2015.

By 2050, when most HIV carriers will have died, the epidemic would effectively be over, argues Professor Brian Williams, who is based in South Africa.

The price would be enormous, costing about 2 billion in South Africa alone. But this would be offset by saving the lives of productive, working-age individuals, Prof Williams believes.

He told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: "The problem is we're now using HIV drugs to save lives; we're not using them to stop transmission.

"Can we use anti-retroviral drugs not only to keep people alive but also to stop transmission? I believe we can."