HIV/AIDS and Palliative Care: Models of Care and Policy Issues

The past two decades have seen both the emergence of AIDS as a new, lifethreatening illness and its conversion from a rapidly fatal to a manageable chronic disease. This pattern has been most marked in industrialized countries where the promise of HIV-specific therapies has been realized for many individuals living with HIV. However, even in the era of ’highly active antiretroviral therapy’ (HAART), AIDS remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in many young adult populations, and attention to chronic disease and palliative care issues remains an essential aspect of clinical care and program planning.