On the recordDecember 1, 2011
today is World AIDS Day, a time for us to reflect on one of the worst plagues the world has experienced. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the first appearance of the disease in the United States. For three decades this preventable disease has devastated families and communities around the world. It has killed over 25 million people. But there has been a strong global response from the research community, governments, health workers, and patient advocates to fight this disease and save lives. This battle has yielded notable victories, and I am proud of the leadership the United States has demonstrated in the fight against AIDS. The number of newly infected people in the world is steadily declining. Successful antiretroviral treatments have saved 2.5 million lives in developing countries. Advancements have been made in HIV testing and prevention, and biomedical innovations have created powerful drugs that can transform AIDS from a death sentence into a more manageable chronic disease. Most recently, promising tests in gene therapies and vaccines are giving researchers renewed hope for a way to prevent the spread of HIV. Some scientists are becoming optimistic about the possibility of a cure. Despite this considerable progress, however, an estimated 34 million people in the world are still suffering from AIDS--5 million more than in 2002.…





