Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Associated Press - November 25, 2003
The report by UNAIDS -the U.N. agency responsible for coordinating global efforts to fight AIDS -said the worldwide epidemic killed more than 3 million people in 2003 and around 5 million more acquired the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV.
The report said the epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa remains rampant and more recent epidemics in China, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam and several central Asian republics continue to grow.
UNAIDS said the global response to the crisis has expanded significantly in the past two to three years with spending on anti-retroviral medication and education increasing in many countries.
"However, it is quite clear that our current global efforts remain entirely inadequate for an epidemic that is continuing to spiral out of control," said Dr. Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS. "AIDS is tightening its grip on southern Africa and threatening other regions of the world."
The report said that anti-retroviral treatment coverage remains dismal in sub-Saharan Africa overall and basic knowledge of HIV/AIDS is still disturbingly low in many countries, especially among women.
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