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World AIDS Day
Health and political leaders across the world join together for World AIDS Day to combat the spread of the disease and honor those who are working to eradicate it.
AIDS, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, was first diagnosed in early 1981 but it is believed to have been around since the 1970s. No one is exactly sure where it originated. HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is transmitted through sex, sharing needles, infected blood and from mother to child during pregnancy or birth.
Since 1988 the United Nations has recognized December 1 as World AIDS Day, a day dedicated to the worldwide fight against AIDS and to the people and organizations that are joined in this effort.
HIV/AIDS can be found in most every continent in the world, but Africa continues to be the hardest hit, according to a report published by UNAIDS and the World Health Organization. Thirty percent of people living with HIV/AIDS are in sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa has more people with HIV then any other country- 5.3 million. But other countries are experiencing rising numbers of infections. too. and are on the verge of major epidemics. including China. India. Indonesia and Russia.
While praising the achievements in the fight against the virus. experts say that more must be done.
"It is quite clear that our current global efforts remain entirely inadequate for an epidemic that is continuing to spiral out of control said D. Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS. "Today's report warns regions experiencing new HIV epidemics that they can either act now or pay later as Africa is now having to pay, he added
In the United States, rates of HIV infection have 40.0 remained steady at new cases per year. according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control Prevention. However, in 29 states that tracked the virus between 1999 and 2002 there was an increase in diagnosis 5.1 percent. Half of those diagnosed by were in the African-American community and the rate of new infection among gay men of all races increased by 17 percent
In an effort to promote awareness and action. the World Health organization. UNAIDS and the Global Fund to fight AIDS. TB, and Malaria have joined in a campaign to bring AIDS drugs to those in the poorest nations. Called the 3x5 campaign. the program aims to provide anti-retroviral treatment to 3 million people with AIDS by the end of 2005.
"The lives of millions of people are at stake. This strategy demands massive and unconventional efforts to make sure they stay alive said World Health organization Director-General Dr. Lee Jong-Wook.
Anti-retroviral drugs. which block the action of viruses like HIV. are the most effective manner to treat HIV/AIDS and the only way to transform HIV from a death sentence to a chronic but stable illness. Patients taking the latest combination treatments can survive at least a decade.
Although widely available in the developed world, the drugs are expensive and difficult to distribute among patients in the poorest nations of the world
Only 75,000 of HIV-infected Africans are receiving the treatments out of the only 4 million who need them
"That is really not acceptable and we have no chance of halting this epidemic f we're not going to make sure that everybody who needs it has access to treatment." Piot said.
However many of the largest drug companies have said that lowering the price of their products would limit the research necessary to develop new drugs, and perhaps someday a cure
Sourced: Scheleicher, Annie World AIDS Day.