World AIDS Day 2008

December 1 is World AIDS Day.

Since this day was first marked in 1988, people and organizations around the globe have worked to bring attention to the AIDS pandemic. The United Nations notes that in 2007, more than 33 million people worldwide were living with HIV or AIDS, and of this number, 2 million were children under the age of 15.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the annual event dedicated to remembering those who've been lost to the virus and to recommitting with vigor to the fight against AIDS. In the past two decades,the virus has claimed the lives of 20 million people.The deaths of people HIV/AIDS have grown to more than 2 million each year. It's only recently, thanks to the lifesaving antiretroviral drugs currently available to HIV-positive people, that the number of annual deaths caused by HIV has begun to decline.

According to the CDC, 33 million people worldwide are living with HIV with nearly 7,500 new infections occurring each day. An estimated 3 million people are now receiving antiretroviral treatment in low and middle-income countries. In the United States, CDC estimates that about 1.1 million people are living with HIV. These numbers will most likely increase over time, as antiretroviral drug treatments extend the lives of those with HIV and more people become HIV infected. As expected, as the number of people living with HIV grows, so does the opportunity for those with HIV to pass on the virus to others.

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plez sez: it's been over 20 years since HIV/AIDS entered into our lexicon. unfortunately, one of the most preventable of diseases has continued to grow and flourish throughout the world.

educate yourself on HIV and AIDS. get tested. and do what you can to prevent the spread of this deadly disease.

my brother is a doctor who works on the front lines in the fight against HIV and AIDS. he works with HIV-positive patients in the Georgia and Alabama and in the prison population. truly an honorable calling... indeed!

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Read the CDC.gov post about World AIDS Day.

Educate yourself about HIV & AIDS here.

Read the CNN.com article about World AIDS Day.

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