Report Calls AIDS ‘Most Serious Epidemic of Last 50 Years’

AIDS “now ranks as the most serious epidemic of the last 50 years,” an international group of researchers declared in a report that urges global cooperation to head off the spread of the deadly acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

Noting that several million people around the world now are infected with the AIDS virus, the researchers called for “a major international commitment, not only in terms of providing financial help but also in providing scientific, educational and technical assistance.”

Between 10% and 30% of those infected with the virus are expected to develop the disease within the next five to 10 years, according to the report, published Thursday in Science magazine.

Cases of AIDS now have been identified in 74 countries, including more than 25,000 cases in the United States, according to Dr. Thomas C. Quinn of Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, principal author of the report.