| Each year the number of people infected with HIV | | | | Of course the global count and the US count for |
| AIDS goes up. It rises at an alarming and steady rate. | | | | each year are vastly different, and we don't want to |
| In 2003, it killed more than 3 million people, and 5 | | | | confuse statistics. In the US, the CDC (Centers for |
| million more contracted the HIV virus. It's believed | | | | Disease Control), says that there are just under |
| that today, the number of people living with AIDS | | | | 40,000 new cases each year. |
| worldwide is 40 million. | | | | Today, as the AIDS epidemic has grown, we have |
| In 2007 there was an estimated 2.7 million people | | | | access to much more accurate information on the |
| who were infected. On a global scale there were 33 | | | | subject. We know where the new infections are |
| million living with HIV infection. Most of these were | | | | occurring and in which populations. It's enabled us to |
| not in the United States, where more than 1 million | | | | plot a course of action with targeted interventions |
| are living with HIV and 56,000 were infected each | | | | and programs. The process of collecting the data |
| year. | | | | necessary to form an effective plan of attack is |
| It is believed that this coming year will serve as a | | | | much more easily obtained. |
| year of transition in the fight on AIDS. Figures show | | | | Research shown at "AIDS 2008" revealed that the |
| that since 2001, when there were 3 million new | | | | speed that HIV is able to establish latent viral |
| infections, to 2007, the number went down to 2.7 | | | | reservoirs following infection is only one week. This is |
| million. | | | | particularly true when talking about |
| There also seems to be a global stabilization, although | | | | stomach-associated lymphoid tissues. |
| the money from a fallen economy can hamper | | | | There was an ART study that raised a question in |
| treatment programs and other funding. | | | | countries where the virus is prevalent regarding the |
| The number of children infected went down during | | | | possibility of a raised resistance to treatment. That |
| the period 2001 to 2007 from 450,000 to 370,000, | | | | brought about a discussion of what measures to |
| and is believed to be because of the increasing | | | | take in order to ensure that didn't happen. |
| number of programs for stopping mother-to-child | | | | Research continues in the quest to confirm that |
| transmission. | | | | circumcision holds many protective benefits. One |
| Today, treatment programs are expanding and | | | | study that was performed in Kenya showed that |
| learning to meet the new challenges and overcome | | | | circumcision produced a 65% risk reduction. AIDS |
| the new obstacles that we face today. But the news | | | | 2008, which provided most of this information, was |
| isn't all good. It's been discovered that for each two | | | | held in Mexico City, where HIV professionals and |
| people who are put on treatment, five more become | | | | people who worked in fields pertaining to HIV met |
| infected. When you couple that with the number of | | | | and explored the latest scientific research. |
| deaths that are delayed due to treatment, we have | | | | Again, the number of new cases of HIV in the US is |
| an escalated number of people who are living with | | | | now at around 40,000. |
| HIV. | | | | |