According to the AIDS epidemic update published in december 2004:
80.2 million people were living with HIV world wide
540 000 peolpe died of AIDS world wide
1.2 million people got newly infected with HIV world wide
AIDS means: acquired immuno deficiency symdrom
HIV means: Human immuno deficiency virus
The HIV can not live by itself. It has to do it inside a cell. This virus has as a particularity that invades and destroys the T4 lymphocytes mainly, which are the ones that manage the immune answer. T4 co-ordinate the rest of cells that take part in the defence. When the virus has already attacked, it can have two evolution. It can remain slept: then the cell keeps on living as it used to do. The infection persists but the patient doesn't show symptoms. This person's infected T4 cells can be transmitted to other people and infect them. The other evolution takes place when the virus becomes active and it reproduces itself inside the cell. Then, this cell blasts and it liberates a big number of viruses that will infect other T4. When there is a big quantity of infected T4 cells and they have been destroyed, defences are already weak. The risk that AIDS symptoms appear is then much higher.
Since the first HIV case 20 years ago, over 60 million people have been infected, and over 20 million have already died from AIDS. |
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Currently, there are approximately 14 million children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, with a projection of 40 million children by 2010 if no action is taken. | |
In 2001, 5 million people became newly infected with HIV, and 3 million people died from AIDS. Nearly 20 million Africans have already died from AIDS and millions more will die during 2002.
If the US government provided a fair share contribution to the global effort to stop AIDS (with education, prevention, care, and treatment) it would cost the average US taxpayer 4 cents a day.
This site is related to the site: http://aidstue.canalblog.com
It is just to give a little more information about what HIV/AIDS is doing to humanity.
