How Education Fights AIDS: By increasing the number of people who get tested for HIV, more people who need treatment can start on it earlier and lead healthier lives.
See The New York Times story, “U.N. Cites Global Rise in Detection and Treatment of AIDS.”
According to the United Nations 2009 progress report on HIV and AIDS, several related statistics took a positive turn in 2008. Some examples include: the number of people tested for HIV more than doubled in numerous countries; the number of people taking ARVs in developing countries rose by more than one million (surpassing four million globally); the number of children who benefitted from drug treatment also grew (their number rose to 275,700 in 2008 from 198,000 in 2007); and the amount of mothers who took medication to prevent HIV infection in their babies also increased.
Despite an encouraging boost in the number of people getting tested and receiving treatment, new people still acquire HIV every day (2.7 million people were infected in 2007). Many people who need the drugs are not receiving them, so advancements and change still are necessary around the globe.
-Whitney Isenhower
Tags: ARVs, medical costs, statistics, testing, treatment, United Nations
