World AIDS Day is December 1, 2014. This year’s theme is “Focus, Partner, Achieve: An AIDS-free Generation.”
The statistics below, gathered from UNAIDS, point to why it’s important to focus on HIV/AIDS in the context of global health:
In 2012:
– 2.3 million people were newly infected with HIV worldwide
– In some parts of the world (particularly within Sub-Saharan Africa) between 15-28% of the population are living with HIV
– 35.3 million people are currently living with HIV worldwide
– 47% of people living with HIV worldwide are women
– 1.6 million AIDS-related deaths
Here in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that:
– More than 1.1 million people are living with HIV infection, and almost 1 in 6 (15.8%) are unaware of their infection
– Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM), particularly young black/African American MSM, are most seriously affected by HIV
– By race, blacks/African Americans face the most severe burden of HIV
To find out how you can get involved in World AIDS Day activities, visit: http://aids.gov/news-and-events/awareness-days/world-aids-day/
To learn more about CBAM’s research addressing HIV in Los Angeles, visit: http://www.uclacbam.org/research/active-studies/