HIV/AIDS
It is hard to forget the crisis and panic that took over the whole country when we think back a few decades ago. While there are some positive news stories about the HIV/AIDS virus, this does not mean that there aren’t some heartbreaking and devastating statistics floating around, indicating that we still have a long way to go before we can eradicate this virus. Since the virus’s discovery, approximately 32 million people have died—people from all walks of life, rich and poor, old and young.
Despite still being an important global public health issue that all countries are dealing with, HIV/AIDS has become a chronic health condition that can be mitigated and kept under control so that people living with it can live long and fulfilling lives. This happened because of the discovery of antiretroviral therapy, which has helped and saved 13.6 million people since it started to be used in 2000.
Despite this, it doesn’t mean that we are close to containing the virus. It is estimated that 1 in 7 people who are HIV positive in the United States have no idea that they carry the disease. To make matters worse, there are about 38,000 new HIV infestations every year in the US alone. We have been battling this virus for ages and are still very far away from finding a cure.
