World Aids Day December 1st 2014

World AIDS Day Purpose and Theme

World AIDS Day on December 1st draws people together from around the world in solidarity to pay tribute to the millions of people living with HIV/AIDS, raise awareness of the global impact of HIV/AIDS, and celebrate victories that are allowing more people to live longer and healthier lives.

The World AIDS Campaign’s Global Steering Committee has selected the theme, “Getting to Zero,” for the annual World AIDS Day observances, 2011 – 2015. The theme is about reducing new HIV infections, discrimination and AIDS related deaths to zero through increased advances and equal access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care.

Since the first cases of AIDS were reported in 1981, infection with HIV has grown to pandemic proportions, resulting in an estimated 75 million infections and 36 million deaths.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) targets the immune system and weakens people’s surveillance and defense systems against infections and some types of cancer. As the virus destroys and impairs the function of immune cells, infected individuals gradually become immunodeficient. Immune function is typically measured by CD4 cell count. Immunodeficiency results in increased susceptibility to a wide range of infections and diseases that people with healthy immune systems can fight off.

Some Facts:

• HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that infects the cells of the immune system lessening its ability to fight off other infections and diseases.
• HIV can be transmitted several ways:
  • Unprotected sexual activity
  • Transmission of infected blood
  • Sharing of infected needles or other sharp instruments
  • From a mother to her baby during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding
• 34 million people live with HIV worldwide.
• HIV is the world’s leading infectious killer.
• About 25 million people have died from HIV since its discovery in 1981. Roughly 1.7 million died of HIV/AIDS in 2011 alone.
• Of the 3.34 million children living with HIV, most (about 97 percent) live in sub-Saharan Africa and were infected by their HIV-positive mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
• 1 in 5 Americans living with HIV are unaware they are infected.
• Most people living with or at risk of contracting HIV do not have access to prevention, care, or treatment. As of 2013, there is no cure for the virus.
• Many of the countries hardest hit by HIV also suffer from other infectious diseases (like AIDS and malaria), food insecurity, and lack of proper water and sanitation.
• Every 9.5 minutes someone is diagnosed with HIV the the U.S.

For more information

The Facts