“AIDS is an unparalleled crisis, a disease that within the next 25 years will become one of the top three causes of death worldwide, along with heart disease and stroke. The global AIDS pandemic threatens to undermine other efforts to bring stability and prosperity to the world.
“Every country around the globe will, in one way or another, feel the devastating impact of this disease; no nation will be spared. In 2006, 39 million people around the world are living with HIV/AIDS and youth ages 15-24 account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide - around 6,000 become infected with HIV every day. Almost 2.8 million people die of AIDS each year, 95 percent of them in the developing world.
“We must fully and sensibly commit ourselves to the fight against AIDS. That means providing the resources necessary to prevent and treat this illness, sufficiently funding important organizations and vaccine research, and providing proven, science-based education to individuals and families about HIV/AIDS. In order to succeed, we must also change the environment in which this disease thrives. If we don’t act with urgency, sensibility, clarity, and deliberation, countless men, women, and children throughout the world will face unnecessary death. This year we marked the 25th anniversary of the first reported AIDS case, a disease that has become the leading cause of death among women and men ages 15-59. We must act now to address this devastating reality. We cannot afford to fail.”
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