Projections made in an early July 2002 issue of
The Lancet medical journal by a group of experts
from the United Nations AIDS agency, the World
Health Organization, the United States Census
Bureau, Imperial College in London, and the
Futures Group International were staggering—45
million more people worldwide will be infected
with the AIDS virus in the next eight years—
between 2002 and 2010. Make no mistake—the
global prevalence of HIV infection and AIDS is
sobering indeed. Today—two plus decades into the
pandemic—we know that HIV prevention works.
And we know that access to effective prevention is
one of the key challenges to effective prevention.
“Knowledge is power” is a slogan that has been
bandied about in recent years in many circles;
indeed, its relevance has far exceeded its initial
application. Within the context of HIV/AIDS this
much is clear—being informed is one of the key
components of effective prevention.