World AIDS Day 2012 More Hopeful Than in Past

November 30, 2012

A large red ribbon is installed on the North Portico of the White House to mark World AIDS Day on December 1, in Washington, D.C., November 30, 2012.

The United States has announced a plan to significantly reduce the global spread of AIDS. Advances in research and treatment of the disease has many officials feeling hopeful.

According to the United Nations, about 34 million people worldwide are living with HIV, and 2.5 million were infected last year alone. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control says there is an alarming rise in the spread of HIV among teenagers and young adults, with 1,000 new infections each month. Yet public officials and health care workers say the world is nearing a turning point on AIDS, the disease caused by the HIV virus.

In advance of World AIDS Day [December 1, 2012], U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton outlined a plan calling for global efforts toward improving treatment and preventing the spread of HIV.

"We can reach a point where virtually no children are born with the virus. And as these children become teenagers and adults, they are at a far lower risk of becoming infected than they are today," said Clinton.

Key finds spur treatment

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who heads AIDS research at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, said medical advances have made the difference.