The human immunodeficiency virus, (HIV-1), pandemic: cellular therapies, stem cells and biobanking.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus, (HIV-1), has become a major global health threat with recent estimates suggesting that 68% of people living with HIV (PLWH) reside in Sub-Saharan Africa. The current strategies for containment of this disease in the absence of an effective vaccine are of concern in terms of long-term fiscal sustainability and cost effectiveness. HIV prevalence rates are set to rise, not because of increasing incidence but rather because of the effort involved in implementing the anti-retroviral (ARV) programmes, especially on the African continent.