HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It is sometimes referred to as a silent virus because people may be infected for many years with no recognisable symptoms and may unknowingly pass on the virus to others. HIV leads to AIDS, the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, a condition where the immune system is too weak to effectively defend the body against other illnesses.
The following statistics are taken from the 2010 edition of the UNAIDS Report on the global AIDS epidemic:
- 33.3 million people worldwide are living with HIV, most of whom are unaware of their status. More than 5 million are now receiving HIV treatment.
- While new HIV infections are declining in many countries most affected by the epidemic, several regions and countries do not fit the overall trend. In seven countries, five of them in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, HIV incidence increased by more than 25% between 2001 and 2009.