Week in Review: Jeff Weiss

World AIDS Day

It's hard to imagine that 33 million people in the world are living with HIV/AIDS. It's harder to imagine that of those 33 million people, only 4 million of them are receiving treatment. 2008 brought three million new infections and claimed two million lives. While advancements have been made, there is no room to be complacent. While the media focuses on the “disease of the week” - currently H1N1, and prior to that SARS and the avian flu - HIV and AIDS doesn't get the amount of press it once did. Don't make the mistake of thinking because it is not generating headlines as it did ten or twenty years ago, the virus is no longer a threat. Yes, new infections are down and those infected are living longer, however half of new HIV infections occur in those under 25 years old and new cases in the gay community are on the rise after years of decline.

While it's nice to have a day set aside each year to support those living with HIV/AIDS and inform and educate those who are not, I think it's important to be vigilante in educating the the public on AIDS awareness and prevention every day.

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