World AIDS Day: A Look at the Fight Against the Global Pandemic

The 18th annual World AIDS Day was observed yesterday around the theme "Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise." AIDS organizations across the globe are urging governments and the international community to remain committed to fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The groups are focusing on holding political leaders accountable for previous commitments to HIV/AIDS prevention. They are especially interested in enforcing pledges world leaders made at this year's G8 Summit to ensure universal access to AIDS treatment by 2010.

The World Health Organization estimates that 3.1 million people worldwide will die of AIDS this year including 500,000 children. Earlier this month, a UN AIDS report was released showing that the number of people living with HIV has topped 40 million for the first time. Sub-Saharan Africa remains home to more than half of those with HIV, but infection rates have spiked all over the world.

In India, at least 4.5 million people live with HIV. This is the most in any country outside of South Africa. Latin America saw a record number of new infections. And the U.S., Canada and Europe also witnessed an increase in infections. One million people in the U.S now live with HIV with at least 35,000 infections occurring this year.

Governments across the world announced initiatives and programs to address the crisis. The African state of Lesotho, which has one of the highest infection rates in the world, launched the world's first door-to-door HIV testing service. India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for people to shed inhibitions and start discussing sex in an effort to increase AIDS awareness. President George Bush stressed the US "ABC" policy in a press conference Thursday. This stands for abstinence, being faithful and using a condom. He also touted U.S efforts to combat HIV abroad.

* President Bush, Washington DC, December 1, 2005.

For more on World AIDS Day we speak with the Center for Health and Gender Equity

* Jodi Jacobson, founder and Executive Director of the Center for Health and Gender Equity.

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