RT Journal
A1 Fauci AS, Folkers GK
T1 TOward an aids-free generation
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2012
FD July 25
VO 308
IS 4
SP 343
OP 344
DO 10.1001/jama.2012.8142
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2012.8142
AB 
Since the first cases of what is now known as AIDS were reported in 1981, an entire generation has grown up under the constant cloud of this modern-day plague. Across the globe, more than 34 million people are living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS, including approximately 1.2 million individuals in the United States.1 HIV/AIDS has been responsible for the deaths of an estimated 30 million individuals. Although the rate of new HIV infections has declined or stabilized in many countries, the disease continues to exact an enormous toll: 1.8 million deaths in 2010 alone, grief and hardship for countless families and communities, and deleterious economic effects as those in the prime of life who lack timely access to treatment are lost to parenting and the workforce. Depending on the region of the world, many die with little or no access to medical care, while others require and receive expensive medical and end-of-life care. Despite these daunting statistics, the fight against HIV/AIDS is currently viewed with considerably more optimism than in years past because powerful interventions have been developed, scientifically proven effective, and refined. If these tools are made widely available to those who need them, an AIDS-free generation may be possible—that is, today's children could one day live in a world in which HIV infections and deaths from AIDS are rare.