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World AIDS Day Spotlighted by Putnam County Health Department
Friday, December 1, 2006 was World AIDS Day, a day set aside to increase awareness of the magnitude of the HIV/ AIDS epidemic globally as well as in the United States. Although there have been new technologies brought to the fight against AIDS, such as a rapid HIV test and new treatments that have slowed the progression of HIV to AIDS, the disease remains an epidemic at large. The World Health Organization reports that about 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV and the number is continuing to rise in all regions. One person is infected with the deadly HIV virus every 8 seconds, equivalent to 11,000 infections worldwide everyday, while another 8,000 infected people die (Source: 2006 AIDS Epidemic Update Report; UNAIDS, WHO). There is still no cure and no vaccine.
World AIDS Day was established by the World Health Organization on December 1st, 1988 to address the growing pandemic that has now claimed millions of lives. UNAIDS sets the international theme for World AIDS Day, which this year is "Stop AIDS, Keep the Promise". In Putnam County, the cumulative number of residents infected with AIDS is 169. The Putnam County Department of Health through its Health Education Unit provides HIV/AIDS prevention education to area schools and community groups.
. For further information, contact 845-526-1923. For more information about HIV/ AIDS education and prevention, contact the Health Education Unit at (845) 278-6558.
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