Ahead of World AIDS Day on 1 December, Brazil’s health ministry has launched a campaign focusing on young people aged 13-24, particularly women and gay men.

Brazil’s approach to HIV/AIDS reflects a belief that prevention and treatment must be given equal emphasis. It has attracted praise from diverse quarters in recent years, and is widely seen as a model for other countries.

Apart from running extensive publicity campaigns with a clear emphasis on safe sex, the Government has negotiated with major pharmaceutical companies in order to bring down the price of AIDS drugs. Brazil was also the first developing country to commit to providing free anti-retroviral medicines to those with HIV.

The annual number of AIDS-related deaths in Brazil has fallen sharply, and a recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that infection rates in Brazil are no higher than those in the United States.

Source: Embassy of Brazil in London

World AIDS Day 2007 (Brazilian Government)

Brazil gets cut-price Aids drug (BBC - 05/07/2007)

Brazil's Aids policy 'remarkable' (BBC - 14/11/2007)