The devastating effects of HIV and AIDS does not only manifest itself in the body of its victims, but also in the social, cultural, economic, and political structures of society. In the early 1990s it was projected that by the year 2000, about forty million (40 million) men, women, and children would be infected and or killed by the disease worldwide (UNAIDS & WHO 2001, pg3-4).
This grim projection of the disease’s impact led to a collective effort, by the scientific community and civil society, to draw up programs on how to help control the spread of the disease. This notwithstanding, available figures of people living with HIV and those who have died from AIDS complications has definitely exceeded the 40 million estimates. According to a 2004 report by UNAIDS and WHO (2005), the total worldwide figures for people living with HIV rose to reach its highest level ever.
An estimated 39. 4 million people are currently living with the virus (UNAIDS/WHO 2006, pg1) (Table 1). In addition, it is estimated that over 20 million people have already died from AIDS and its associated complications (Fauci, Touchette, & Folkers 2005, pg520). Therefore, the total number of people who have been killed by AIDS or infected with HIV is about 60 million, 50% more than the projected figures in the 1990s.
Since the discovery of the disease, the African continent has been devastated most by the disease, although current reports indicate that infection rates in East Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean have been on the ascendancy since the year 2000 (UNAIDS & WHO 2005, pg2). According to recent epidemic updates by UNAIDS and WHO (2004 & 2005), steep upward infection trends have been reported in China, Ukraine, the Russian Federation and the Caribbean, which now ranks second worldwide in prevalence (number of people in the country living with HIV, compared to the country’s population).
It is estimated that in 2004 alone, 4. 9 million people were infected with the virus and another 3. 1 million died of complications from AIDS worldwide (UNAIDS & WHO 2004, pg2). According to UNAIDS (2004, 2005 & 2006) statistics on the disease also indicate that females within the age bracket of 15 to 49 years are most affected (pg3).