Getting to Zero
Since the first cases of HIV/AIDS were seen in 1981, it is estimated that 1.7 million people in the United States alone have been infected with HIV. This estimate includes the 615,000+ who have already succumbed to the virus. According to CDC estimates worldwide, 3.3 million people have HIV with 1.2 million of that total living in the US. New infections are increasing at a rate of 50,000 Americans being infected annually, and as many as one in five people in the US are unaware of their infection.
This year`s World AIDS Day, which is tomorrow December 1st, will focus on 3 goals, all revolving around one number--the number zero. Zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, zero AIDS-related deaths. ``Getting to Zero`` is an achievement that would be most welcomed after the 3 decades that AIDS/HIV has been a global fight.
