Wall Street Journal Blog - December 1, 2008
Posted by Victoria Knight

Established 20 years ago by the World Health Organization, the event was intended to raise awareness about the global AIDS epidemic. At the time of the day's inception, fear and ignorance about HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, were rife. Infections were spiraling upwards, and the odds of receiving life-saving treatment were low even in rich countries, such as the U.S., where a treatment was available. Taking us back in time, CNN charts the early challenges of caring for people with AIDS in the U.S.

Globally, about 33 million people are currently living with HIV, according to the latest estimates, from UNAIDS the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. Infection rates have leveled off since 2000. But many nations, in particular in Africa, still face major challenges. The number of new infections in some part of Europe is also growing rapidly, reports Bloomberg.

In developed countries life-saving antiretroviral drugs have turned what was once a death sentence into a manageable illness. The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has distributed more than $18.8 billion since 2004 helping more than 1.7 million people, mostly in Africa, access antiretroviral treatments. Scientific American has the details.

Some public health advocates are concerned that AIDS programs are gobbling up resources that should be used in the fight against bigger killers, as the AP reports.

"Diarrhea kills five times as many kids as AIDS," John Oldfield, EVP at Water Advocates, a group concerned about drinking water and sanitation, told the AP. "Everybody talks about AIDS at cocktail parties. But nobody wants to hear about diarrhea."

Still, combating fear and ignorance about HIV is an ongoing battle in many corners of the world. In China the government's efforts to stamp out discrimination have had a limited impact, Reuters reports.

Other governments have been guarded in acknowledging HIV/AIDS for cultural or religious reasons. Iran broke its silence today, disclosing that more than 18,000 people there have tested positive for HIV, and up to 100,000 people could be infected with the virus. U.N officials say the figure is likely higher.

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