An estimated 38.6 million people worldwide were living with HIV in 2005.
In 2005 an estimated 4.1 million became newly infected with HIV.
Estimated 2.8 million lost their lives with AIDS in 2005
2.3 million children under 15 living with HIV/AIDS
2.8 million AIDS related deaths in 2005
Southern Africa has been the worst hit by the AIDS disaster.
Orphans (0-17 years old) due to AIDS currently living (2005) 15.2 million.
More positive fact:
Sub-Saharan Africa, the number of people receiving treatment increased more then eight-fold (from (100.000 to 810.000) between 2003 and 2005.
Information from the 2006 Report on the global AIDS epidemic http://www.unaids.org/en/HIV_data/2006GlobalReport/default.asp
What is HIV?
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It's a virus that damages your body's ability to defend itself against infections. Someone with HIV can have it for many years before it does enough damage to make him or her ill. A lot of people think that people who have HIV have got AIDS, but HIV is actually the cause of AIDS, and it's possible to be HIV positive for a long time without getting AIDS.
What is AIDS?
AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and is basically the name used to describe the unusual infections and cancers that people become more vulnerable to the longer they have HIV.
Everybody comes into contact with organisms that cause diseases but, because HIV severely weakens the body's ability to fight off infection, people with HIV are less able to combat these illnesses.
When someone with HIV shows symptoms of unusual infections and cancers, this is when they're said to have AIDS. At this point their immune system is really weak and the AIDS infection can cause them very serious illness and death.
There are medical treatments available for people with HIV. These help prevent HIV reproducing in someone's body. However, as yet, there's actual no vaccine against HIV and no cure for AIDS. However the way in which treatment has improved over the last few decades means that some people with HIV can remain well for la onger period.
