AIDS is killing people in every corner of the globe. In 2001 alone, the disease claimed 5 million lives - 14,000 people each day. Worldwide, 40 million people are infected with HIV, and 24 million people have died from it already. Two decades after it first appeared, AIDS has become a global crisis, devastating families, villages and whole countries.

 

Pandemic: Facing AIDS aims to aid the fight against the epidemic by putting a human face on the overwhelming statistics surrounding the disease and opening channels for people all over the world to become involved in stopping its further spread.

 

As you tour the site, you’ll learn more about key issues in the AIDS epidemic:

 

You can also read more about the people and places profiled in the film, or take tours of the book and exhibit, which present images from the epidemic over the last twenty years and essays offering differing perspectives on its profound impact. The site also contains downloadable educational materials designed to bring the project’s message into the classroom. Most importantly, you'll find suggestions for ways you can take action with the help of organizations around the world working to combat AIDS.

 

If current trends continue, by 2010 100 million people around the world will have been infected by with HIV. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan estimates that it will take $10 billion per year to fight the epidemic. The threat to human health, political stability and the global economy is clear, but the world AIDS crisis is solvable - if the will to do so is supported. Be a part of the global chorus lobbying for a sustained international effort in the fight against AIDS.