HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC IN THE WORLD

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS is a worldwide pandemic:

· Today, approximately 40 million people are estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS. Of these, 37 million are adults and 2.5 million are children under the age of 15.

· An estimated 5 million people acquired the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in 2003, including 4.2 million adults and 700,000 children under the age of 15.

· During 2003, AIDS caused the deaths of an estimated 3 million people, including 2.5 million adults and 500,000 children under the age of 15.

WHAT IS AN HIV VACCINE?
A preventive HIV vaccine is a substance that teaches the body’s immune system to recognize and protect itself against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV vaccines currently being tested in humans are made from man-made materials that cannot cause HIV infection.

The long-term goal is to develop a vaccine that is 100 percent effective and protects everyone from infection. However, even if a vaccine only protects some people, it could still have a major impact on controlling the epidemic.

There are numerous safe and effective vaccines used to prevent various diseases. Vaccines have been used successfully against many life-threatening diseases, including smallpox, measles and polio.

May 18th is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. It is a day to educate Americans about the need for a vaccine to prevent HIV. This year’s theme is “Real People. Real Progress.” We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of thousands of study volunteers, scientists and health professionals committed to finding a safe and effective vaccine. With the help of these people behind the science, much progress has been made toward developing a safe and effective preventive HIV vaccine. Currently, there are over 20 promising HIV vaccine candidates in various stages of testing. Yet, there is still no vaccine. We are all in this together. All Americans, especially at-risk populations such as communities of color and those who are sexually active, need to learn more about HIV vaccine research and be a part of making an HIV vaccine a reality.