effects of hiv aids on the economies of developing countries

According to the UNAIDS Council, of the world's 30 million HIV infected people in 2002, over 7 million reported are in India alone and this number is growing astronomically. India currently has the largest number of reported HIV cases of any country in the world and the disease is spreading most quickly among heterosexual youth in India. Unfortunately, due to the stigmatization of AIDS patients and the myths used to explain modes of HIV transmission, much of Indian society refuses to acknowledge and to effectively educate youth about the AIDS epidemic.
December 1, 2006 marked World AIDS Day. Now, some 25 years into the epidemic, the need for bold policy choices is greater and more urgent than ever. According to the just released data from the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, 39.5 million people worldwide are now living with HIV. Moreover, the number of new HIV infections increased to 4.3 million. In short, the AIDS epidemic continues to gather momentum. That trend is likely to continue. With 39.5 million people now infected by HIV, the virus expected to claim the lives of more than 100 million persons over the next 25 years, and the sizable geopolitical consequences associated with the progression of the epidemic, nothing short of a global commitment to combating HIV/AIDS is required. The OECD, including the United States, will need to play a leading role. When it takes office in January, the 110th Congress will have an opportunity to demonstrate leadership by making the fight against AIDS one of its more important priorities.