Today is World AIDS Day, a day when individuals and organizations from around the world come together to build awareness of the global AIDS epidemic. This year marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, which was inaugurated in 1988 by the World Health Organization (WHO).

This year, both President Bush and President-elect Obama commented on the progress made in the battle against HIV/AIDS and the importance of continued action to combat HIV infection in developing countries. An estimated 33 million people are infected with HIV worldwide and 2 million die of AIDS each year.

Bush highlighted recent gains made in the treatment of people who are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In 2003, President Bush launched the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to combat global HIV/AIDS, pledging $15 billion to treat 2 million people infected with HIV worldwide over five years. Today Bush announced that the goal had been reached a few months ahead of schedule, highlighting a bright spot of his tenure before he leaves office next month. In July, Bush signed a new law expanding PEPFAR, committing up to $48 billion more over five years to treat and prevent AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere

Obama commended Bush on efforts to fight world AIDS and pledged he would continue the PEPFAR program when he takes office, adding that he would also embark on new efforts to address the disease in the United States as well. Obama noted that AIDS is a very real problem in the United States and that the country needs to recommit itself to addressing the domestic AIDS crisis with a strong national strategy of education, prevention, and treatment.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that about 1.1 million people in the United States currently are infected with HIV. The CDC also said more people are becoming infected each year than previously estimated, with 56,300 new HIV infections in the U.S. in 2006. Previous estimates put the number of new infections at about 40,000 a year.

The best way to prevent HIV infections is to always practice safe sex, such as using a latex condom. Health experts recommend getting tested for HIV if you have never been tested, as well as after engaging in any risky behaviors. Knowing your HIV status can help keep you from unknowingly spreading the disease and, if you are HIV positive, allows you to begin treatment with medications to prevent the development of AIDS for many years. For more about how you can help combat AIDS in the U.S. and worldwide, visit the World AIDS Campaign. For more information about HIV and AIDS, join the conversation at the Healia Health Community for HIV/AIDS.

_{Photo: ivalladt, Flickr, Creative Commons}