PIP: WHO estimates the existence of 1 million AIDS cases and over 500,000 AIDS deaths over the past 10 years. An estimated 9-11 million people are infected, including 3 million women and 500,000 infants and children. 80% of infected women and children live in sub-Saharan Africa. Their numbers are expected to continue to rise. HIV-1 will probably lead to the death of 3 million or more women and 2.7 million children over the next decade, and will become the leading cause of death for men and women aged 15-49 in major North, Central, and South American, West European, and sub-Saharan African cities. Accordingly, pediatric AIDS threatens much of what has been achieved in improving developing country child survival over the past 20 years. Concerted efforts must be made on an international scale to prevent and control the growing pandemic. This paper discusses the magnitude of HIV-1 infection and AIDS, maternal-infant transmission, breast-feeding, blood transfusion, diagnosis, clinical features and medical management, impact on child survival, and prevention and control.