PRESS ROOM
HIV/AIDS NEWS
Since the last AIDS Epidemic Update in 2006, most of the estimates that have been circulating about the spread of HIV/AIDS have changed, and many of them have decreased, making it appear that the HIV/AIDS Epidemic is in a downward trend. However, the reason that all of these estimates have decreased is that the methods of collecting data and making global estimates have improved, and these new numbers are just more accurate. For example, in 2006, there were an estimated 40.3 million people around the world who were infected with HIV/AIDS, and now the estimate is 33.2 million. This is a significant drop, and it is encouraging that the numbers aren't as high as we had previously estimated, but it does not mean that the problem is going away. In countries such as South Africa, Lesotho, and Botswana, as many as 3 out of 10 pregnant women are infected. Just last year, there were 2.1 million deaths due to AIDS, and 2.5 million new infections. Although estimates in Asia have also decreased, HIV/AIDS is still growing faster in India, China, and Russia than any other disease.
