Since our last Erice workshop in August 2000 significant progress has been achieved in both HIV antiretroviral (ARV) therapy and in HIV vaccine research and development with the emerging concept of therapeutic vaccine considered as a possible complement to ARV therapy. We reviewed preventive and therapeutic aspects in the context of mother-to-child transmission and appreciated the increasing political awareness concerning the HIV/AIDS epidemic now considered as a planetary emergency which led to the engagement of the UN and of the G8 to provide funds to implement access to ARV drugs in low income and the most severely affected countries. Despite these efforts UNAIDS estimates that in the year 2000 around 36 million people were living with HIV infection 95% of them in the developing world that at least 5.3 million became infected during 2000 alone and that more than 22 million AIDS patients have died since the beginning of the epidemic. Furthermore it is expected that by 2005 the spread level will provide prevention services for about 22 million people and voluntary counselling and testing for 9 million. An additional 35 million will receive testing at prenatal clinics and 900 000 will need ARV treatment to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). In the same report it has also been estimated that the annual costs will then be USD 300 million for treatment of opportunistic infections 450-3500 million for drug costs and 416 million for orphanage care. (excerpt)