Taiwan's clinical spectrum of AIDS patients is similar to those reported in other developed countries, but significant differences have been noted in incidences of opportunistic infections. For example, the incidence of tuberculosis in patients with advanced illness is high in Taiwan (24.6%) and the rate of endemic fungal ("Penicillium marneffei") infections is increasing. On the positive side, the effort by the Taiwanese Government since April, 1997, to distribute highly-active antiretroviral therapy for free has resulted in dramatic decreases in morbidity and mortality from HIV-1 infection.