AIDS: We're Not There Yet Last Friday was World AIDS Day. People
across the planet held hands in solidarity against a lethal
microbe hellbent on finding a warm human body in which to
incubate, replicate, and from which to transmit itself to
others. The HIV virus has killed 25 million people since its
appearance in 1981; today, at least 40 million people worldwide
are infected. The awareness day stems from a United Nations
initiative (its slogan: "Keep the Promise") intended to help
nations cope with the epidemic. Governments, private
foundations, and corporations have committed billions of dollars
to make the highly active antiretroviral drugs, which can turn
AIDS into a chronic manageable disease, available to poorer
nations. The promise is powerful, especially if one looks at how
the drugs have transformed the face of AIDS in the United
States. But there's something odd going on: Despite the
commendable enthusiasm for helping victims beyond our borders, a
strange complacency has set in at home. Many people