Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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United Press International - Saturday, 1 December 2001
About 40 million people worldwide are living with AIDS or HIV infections, according to international health agencies.
This disease is galloping through Africa and Asia, and has been making serious inroads in Russia and China, according to international health agencies.
In some developing countries, the HIV infection rate has topped 30 percent.
In a statement released Friday, President George W. Bush called for more work toward a vaccine against this illness.
"We must also continue our efforts to develop a vaccine that will protect individuals from becoming infected with HIV," Bush said. "Our children deserve to live in a world free from the fear of HIV/AIDS, and the United States will not weaken in its resolve to lead the world toward that goal."
He said people under the age of 25 comprise half of all new HIV infections worldwide.
Referring to the Sept. 17 terror attacks on the United States, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette said, "The events of the past few months have propelled us into a new and uncertain environment. But that should not lessen our resolve to fight AIDS. The latest figures tell us the tragedy of AIDS continues to grow. ...
"Every hour of every day, almost 600 people are infected. Every minute, a child dies of the virus."
She spoke at a town-hall-style meeting Friday at U.N. headquarters in New York in observance of World AIDS Day.
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