UNAIDS Report Shows Over 52% Reduction In HIV Infections, 'Dramatic' Progress Worldwide

The United Nations issued a new report on Monday that reveals a promising turn in the battle against AIDS and H.I.V. According to the report, the number of AIDS-related deaths around the world has seen a significant decline. Specifically, the report found the number of deaths from AIDS to fall from 1.7 million in 2011 to 1.6 million in 2012. What's more, the number of new reported cases of infections fell from 2.5 million in 2011 to 2.3 million in 2012. The UN program committed to HIV/AIDS research, UNAIDS, set a goal in 2011 to give 15 million people HIV treatment by 2015. The latest report suggests that UNAIDS is well on its way completing this task. "Not only can we meet the 2015 target of 15 million people on HIV treatment, we must also go beyond and have the vision and commitment to ensure no one is left behind," said executive director of UNAIDS, Michael Sidibe, according to Reuters.

As for how the fight against AIDS has seen such progress, UNAIDS believes it has to do with better access to antiretroviral treatment and therapy that is provided to those who are already infected with the virus. In fact, an estimated 9.7 million people in low-and-middle income countries had access to AIDS drugs by the end of 2012, which was 20 percent higher than 2011. And if you think the difference in a year is a staggering change, then consider this: There has been a 52 percent decrease in new HIV infections in children and a 33 percent decrease in new infections in adults since 2001. HIV--which currently infects 35.3 million people around the globe--is an immunodeficiency virus that results in AIDS and can be transmitted from individual to individual through sex (via semen), breast milk and blood. In the Latino community, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the lack of awareness contributes to the public health concern about Latinos with AIDS/HIV. Statistics suggest that 1 in 36 Latino men and 1 in 106 Latino women will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime.

In addition to global efforts and public awareness campaigns, scientists have been making strides in finding a cure for AIDS. In a study published in Nature last week, researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University revealed that preliminary experiments with monkeys found promising results. In the study, 16 monkeys were given an immunodeficiency virus similar to HIV and nine of the monkeys were protected from the virus after receiving the treatment. Additionally, the monkeys that were protected were cleared of the virus from their system. "Three years later, you can't tell them from other monkeys," said Dr. Picker. "It's like their T-cells were turned into the East German secret police, hunting down infected cells until there were none left." READ MORE: AIDS Cure Found? Researchers Successfully Test Vaccines On HIV-Like Virus In Monkeys

Russian scientists from the Vector Institute have also recently announced that certain varieties of mushrooms that grow in the Siberian forests contain antiviral properties that have been found to be "toxic" to cancer cells, influenza, small pox and HIV. "Strains of these mushrooms demonstrated low toxicity and a strong antiviral effect," said the scientists in a statement. "We conducted research and for the first time we selected 82 strains of 33 types of fungi growing in South West Siberia," said a spokesman for Vector to Siberian Times. Suffice to say, after claiming 25 million lives worldwide since its discovery in 1981, it is a relief to see the AIDS/HIV epidemic on a decline and so much progress taking place in treatments. HIV Cure News: Could Mushrooms Contain Ingredient Toxic To HIV, Smallpox And Other Diseases?