Abstract

Since the start of HIV/AIDS epidemic considerable resources – both human and economic – have been allocated to the development and evaluation of efficacious interventions to halt the transmission of the virus and progression of the disease. In order to stop the spread of an infection, the right intervention must be delivered to the right people at the right scale, the delivery of intervention must be sustained and the adherence of individuals must be sustained. In this review interventions for prevention of the sexual, parenteral (focusing on spread of HIV among IDUs) and perinatal transmission of HIV are discussed focusing  on the delivery levels of the interventions (individual, community, structural), efficacy and effectiveness. The biggest challenge to the science of HIV prevention is the need to implement in full what has been learned already. Resource sufficiency is not the only condition required for successful HIV prevention outcomes. It is also crucial to support various prevention approaches, to integrate HIV prevention into treatment and care, to recognize and address the social factors that facilitate HIV transmission, and to provide strong, continuous leadership in support of HIV prevention efforts.