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MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY OF
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
December 1 is World AIDS Day. As we
enter the third decade of fighting HIV/AIDS, the news
is troubling. An estimated 36 million people are living
with HIV/AIDS. In 2000, approximately 8,000 people,
worldwide, died of HIV/AIDS every day. Worldwide in
the same year, young people under the age of 25 represented
half of all new HIV infection cases,and every minute,
five young people were infected with HIV.
In the past 20 years, AIDS has claimed
the lives of nearly 22 million people. If current projections
are accurate, the number of deaths caused by AIDS in
the next 10 years will be greater that the combined
fatalities in all wars of the 20th century.
However, there are signs of hope.
We know that education can stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.
We know that when people are tested and receive appropriate
treatment, their long-term health and well-being is
enhanced. New drug therapies are making it possible
for many to enjoy long and productive lives. With the
leadership of President Bush, we have launched a worldwide
trust fund to address the devastating impact of this
disease in developing countries. At the same time, we
will continue our commitment to the prevention, treatment
and care of HIV/AIDS at home.
Please help us fight the fear, denial,
and stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. This year's World
AIDS Day theme is I Care...Do You? Youth and AIDS in
the 21st Century. For more information on HIV/AIDS,
call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
National AIDS Hotline at 1-800-342-2437.
TOMMY G. THOMPSON
Click on the following links for information
related to HIV/AIDS and World AIDS Day:
World
AIDS Day
World
AIDS Day Resource Booklet
(Click on the World AIDS Day booklet.)
HIV/AIDS
Information from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
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