Zero is a very large number …

No, I haven’t lost my mind. It’s true. Not in the mathematical sense, though. Zero is a large number because it has such a large meaning in the battle against AIDS. Why?

Zero is the survival rate of AIDS victims. Z-E-R-O. Absolutely – without question. The old saying goes “The only things that are certain are death and taxes.” Well, death from AIDS needs to be added to the list. There is no miracle ‘cocktail’ of medication that prevents this outcome. There is no surgery, no radiation, no chemotherapy, no diet modification, no mystical herbs, no spiritual intervention – if you have AIDS, you will die from it. Period.

In 2007, with all of the medical progress that has been made with successfully battling and even curing so many diseases, this one clearly stands out as the near-pandemic of our lifetime. There are over 33 million people worldwide who are living with AIDS. Two million have died this year. Treatment is available to only 10% of those in need. The HIV rate in South Africa is 12% of the population. Think about that rate for a moment. Hypothetically - that would mean – in US terms – that over 36,000,000 million people would be living with HIV. Yes – do the math – 36 MILLION Americans. Under those circumstances, I find it difficult to believe that the US government, regardless of which party was in power, would be as 'lean' in the funding made available for the research needed to stop this disease.

Antiretroviral drugs are as close to a miracle as we’ve gotten – but they have a ‘down’ side, especially among younger Americans, if only from the perspective that there is a rampant misconception that these drugs will make you “OK”. So there’s no need to ‘bother’ with safe sex practices. If you combine that with the ‘AIDS Fatigue’ in this country, fueled by the fact that antiretroviral drugs are available here in greater quantities and to more people, there is a dangerous precedent set which could translate in an unnecessary spike in AIDS cases.

There is an excellent interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci at CNN.com, where he discusses how complacency about AIDS is dangerous. Dr. Fauci is Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.

Even though much progress has been made, there is even more research and education that needs to be continued. You can find information at the World Aids Campaign site, the UN Aids site, the US Government AIDS site, the US Health & Human Services AIDS site and at the ONE Campaign site.

“Stop AIDS. Keep The Promise.”