Lecture given on AIDS Day – in 1996 - What Islam has got to say.

بسم الله الرّحمن الرّحيم

ربّ اشرحلي صدري ويسّرلي أمري واحلل عُقدة مّن لُّلساني يفقهو قولي

الحمد لله ربّ العالَمين والعاقبة اللمتّقين والصّلوةُ والسّلام على رسولك سيّدنا محمّد

وأاله وأصحابه وأهل بيته وأهل طاعتك أجمعين - أمّا بعد                         

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرّجيم

بسم الله الرّحمن الرّحيم

The Holy Quran says:

. . . وَلْيَسْتَعْفِفِ الَّذِينَ لا يَجِدُونَ نِكَاحًا حَتَّى يُغْنِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ

24.33 Let those who find not the wherewithal for marriage keep themselves chaste, until Allah gives them means out of His grace.  (An-Noor [The Light])

Let us today discuss the curse of AIDS on humanity. What is Aids and what is the cause of the spread of Aids in society.  Let us first try to find the scientific explanation for AIDS.  Then we shall discuss briefly the social aspects and conclude the religious aspects which not only deals with the health aspects but also the Moral aspects and subsequently, how ISLAM helps us to retain AND KEEP the social fabric intact.

"AIDS" is an abbreviation for Acquired Immune-Deficiency Syndrome.

ACQUIRED      - Means - not born with

IMMUNE          - Means - body's defense system

DEFICIENCY   - Means - not working properly

SYNDROME    - Means - a group of signs and symptoms

So you can see that AIDS is a combination of fatal illnesses caused by progressive damage to the body's defense system, eventually resulting in a horrible death.

Let us see how AIDS is brought about.  AIDS is caused by a latent slow acting virus called Human Immuno-deficiency Virus - abbreviated - 'HIV VIRUS".  The term HIV is attributed and is so called so long as it remains undetected and without showing any symptoms.

The development and the apparent advancement of this HIV causes certain Health symptoms and this disease in its maturity and detectable state is called "full blown AIDS".

AIDS is transmitted by a person who is called the "AIDS CARRIER".  Who is this AIDS Carrier? - The answer given by specialists is that it is a person who has been infected by the Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV); but shows no symptoms and suffers no obvious disease.  Such a person is referred to - in medical parlance - as, HIV antibody positive and can transmit the AIDS virus.

Usually these carriers often are not aware of the fact that they have the AIDS -HIV - Virus in them as a result, without their knowledge they pass on spread this HIV infection to other people.

This HIV is transmitted by Sexual Contact; Transfusion of Blood and Blood Products; Drug Addiction result in sharing of Needles and Syringes and if the Mother is a carrier she can pass on to the child.  Let us see the expert opinion on each of these items mentioned, briefly:

1. SEXUAL CONTACT

   It is a well - known fact that HIV is found in semen and vaginal fluids.  Transmission can occur from man to woman,      woman to man and man to man, including woman to woman.         

Experts on AIDS are strongly of opinion that the highest risk     groups for sexual transmission are clearly those men and women     - both homosexual and heterosexual - who have many illicit      sexual partners.

2. BLOOD AND BLOOD PRODUCTS

   Transfusion of HIV contaminated blood.

3. SHARED NEEDLES 

   Users of intravenous drugs are a major risk group because many     of them share needles and syringes.  Even skin piercing instruments like ear piercing and tattooing needles too can spread the disease from person to another.

4. A woman infected with the HIV may spread the disease to her     child during the pregnancy, during birth or shortly after birth.  She could transmit the virus through breast feeding.

WHAT A CALAMITY!!!

This AIDS virus attacks and destroys the immune system of the body.  Once the body's defence mechanism is destroyed, the body's defence system is prevented from producing antibodies which counteract all infections.  The body cannot fight off common diseases and infections even with the aid of antibiotics or any other form of medication.

It is also a well known fact that these infections often cause a rare from of pneumonia knows as PNEUMOCYSTIS CARIULI PNEUMONIA (PCP).  You would have noticed now, that the West has an exceptional ability to reduce all such severe diseases and destructive disasters to abbreviations.  PCP INDEED.  AND SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES AS STD.  "AIDS RELATED COMPLEX AS -ARC" AMAZING..

There is no escape from these infections - no defence mechanism to protect the body against even the mildest of infections - the end result - a horrible death. 

It has also been proved that AIDS also causes a type of SKIN CANCER known as KAPOSI'S SARCOMA.  Moreover, this cancer can also cause death by invading the body organs such as the lungs and intestines.  It has also been discovered that the HIV infection, once sets in, it remains lifelong.

How did this AIDS develop among the human kind?

Let us first try to analyze mentality of the West - Their media screaming with Head lines: Aids - The fear spreads; "Global War on Aids, World Aids Day - One World, One Hope and a host of headlines trying to convince the masses of the world of the horrendous epidemic which is spreading unabated. 

If you read through these write-ups, in spite of the fear generated on the "headlines", you will find highly contradictory statements in every paragraph. 

One Paragraph says how AIDS should be eradicated and the succeeding paragraph explains how to have "safe sex". 

One article writes about the spectre of AIDS looming as a global medical dilemma and the other article stating that AIDS are not just caused only through Homosexuality Prostitution, or Heterosexual Prostitution; but is even found in normal households where the families are not even involved in homosexuality or prostitution or even drug addiction.  Trying to give an indication that AIDS is not as a result of Immoral behaviour but is just something natural - HIGHLY CONTRADICTORY IS NOT THE WORD! 

What are they trying to prove with these highly contradictory expositions?  To add insult to injury, posters have come out with the Warning: 

“AIDS ? - DON'T DIE OF IGNORANCE - GAY OR STRAIGHT , MALE OR FEMALE, ANYONE CAN GET AIDS FROM SEXUAL INTERCOURSE - SO THE MORE THE PARTNERS THE GREATER THE RISK. 

PROTECT YOURSELF - USE A CONDOM."

This clearly shows the depravity of the west trying to impose its filthy habits into every household in the world. What did they do to achieve this?  Let me quote the Times Magazine of 25th May 1987 - The subject - SPECIAL REPORT ON GLOBAL WAR ON AIDS :

Quote: "The pathways of the dread virus are well-known. It can live in semen or vaginal secretions and enter a partner's blood-stream during intercourse; it can also be transmitted through the transfusion of contaminated blood.  Male homosexuals prostitutes and intravenous drug users who share hypodermic needles seem to run the greatest risks.  Heterosexuals are in danger if they have sex with an infected person.  Thus far, in most developed countries, heterosexual transmission of the disease seems to account for only a small percentage of cases..

New lines of research suggest that susceptibility to AIDS may be influenced by genetic factors or the presence of certain other chronic infections found in Africans AND AMERICAN HOMOSEXUAL MEN...  These dire signs are changing how the species thinks, talks and acts about its most vital and intimate act.  Almost overnight, the openness of the sexual revolution has closed like a fist, and love and death have become inexorably linked in a chilling embrace.  At the same time, the spread of AIDS is triggering a public frankness regarding sexual matters - Condoms and anal sex discussed openly on television like recipes on a cooking show - that until now has been confined to medical text books." Unquote.

This has been highlighted by a Danish Newspaper to the effect "That what the liberals in large parts of the Western world have advocated for years this free sex, safe sex and everything that is immoral has been achieved in just a couple of years in their TV world wide sex education of the young population -

The TVs in Sri Lanka and the Media authorities should take heed not to fall prey to this subtle infiltration of such filth under the guise of protecting the young.  The Western Media never mentions that they and their own people were responsible for this disease and this calamity.  They always try to give statistics of other countries.  The tone, of their news bulletin or their programmes on AIDS, really suggest that they are very happy that other countries too are suffering from the same disease AIDS, and no one can point their fingers at them.  This is the Hypocrisy exhibited.

Yes, in 1986/87 era there was such a hue and cry of the legitimacy of Homosexuality and prostitution, extra-marital sex and pre-marital sex, and trying to express in vicious terminology condemning those who oppose this filth and despicable behaviour.  And this being fully supported by the Media.  We were able to just look into statistics published in The Times Magazine of 1987 stating that the W.H.O - The World Health Organization had notified a total of 49,329 cases of AIDS.  But the Number of cases may be as high as 150,000.  reports the Magazine -That is almost 3 times more than that reported by the W.H.O.  If the hue and cry of legitimacy of homosexuality, free sex, trial families-where the boy and girl live like husband and wife out of wedlock, premarital sex and extra-marital sex are true and acceptable then, let us look at the  current figures, the current statistics on Aids: As at first July 1996, it is estimated that almost 22 million adults and children are living with HIV/AIDS and since 1981, 5.8 Million people have died from HIV/AIDS related illnesses. In 1995 alone, 1.3 Million including 300,000 children died of HIV/AIDS.  The UNAIDS estimates that 3.1 Million More people will be infected this year i.e. more than 8,500 infections a day. 

The majority of new adult infections is found among the 15 to 24 year old age group.  Of the nearly 22 Million currently infected with HIV/AIDS, 58% are men and 42% women.  And by the year 2000 the cumulative total of infected individuals is conservatively expected to reach 30 to 40 Million.

The Current Summary is as follows:

More than 25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981.

Africa has 12 million AIDS orphans.

By December 2005 women accounted for 46% of all adults living with HIV worldwide, and for 57% in sub-Saharan Africa.

Young people (15-24 years old) account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide - more than 6,000 become infected with HIV every day.

Of the 6.5 million people in developing and transitional countries who need life-saving AIDS drugs, only 1 million are receiving them.

[For the Latest Statistics as at December 2005 and for comparison purposes see chart at end of this write up.]

With all these statistics which they themselves have given us they are still trying to justify the advocating of their filthy behaviour by still insisting that there is no harm in indulging in Immorality - free sex, extra-marital and pre-marital sex and even homosexuality and prostitution and the use of condoms instead of condemning Immorality and Filth outright.

If we have to speak on AIDS and STD we can go for a whole day.  Since my dear listeners may have got some inkling of the enormity of filthy actions encouraged by the West and the Western media,

Let us now look into the guidance of the Holy Quran and the Life of Our Holy Prophet Muhummed (May Peace and Blessings be upon Him and His Family)

The Holy Quran says: "DO NOT EVEN GET CLOSE TO SHAMEFUL DEEDS - WHETHER OPEN OR SECRET"  6:151 and the verse ends with words of wisdom "THUS DOES HE COMMAND YOU THAT YOU MAY LEARN WISDOM."

 وَلا تَقْرَبُوا الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَلا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلا بِالْحَقِّ ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُمْ بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

6.151 - come not nigh to shameful deeds. Whether open or secret; take not life, which Allah hath made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus doth He command you, that ye may learn wisdom.  (Al-Anaam [Cattle, Livestock])

وَلا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَا إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلا

17.32 Nor come nigh to adultery: for it is a shameful (deed) and an evil, opening the road (to other evils).  (Al-Isra [Isra, The Night Journey, Children of Israel])

"DO NOT EVEN COME CLOSE TO ADULTERY AS IT IS A SHAMEFUL (DEED) AND AN EVIL - OPENING  THE ROAD TO OTHER EVILS.

Quite in contrast the West and the Media advocating just the opposite.  Go ahead, it says,  commit adultery as much as you want, so long as you use your condoms you will be safe." What hypocrisy -And these are the people who talk about containing the AIDS epidemic and these are the people who are trying to discover vaccine, so that they can continue their evil escapades. 

The majority of the people are of the opinion that opposing Islam and the goodness of Islam is fashionable to the west.  Just take for example:

For Muslims and Jews, male circumcision is a religious requirement.  There are very specific hygienic considerations attached to it.  Researchers in Manitoba, Canada, confirmed last August that male circumcision is an important step in the fight against AIDS.  "Male circumcision, if it could be universally implemented, would be a very effective prevention," says Dr. Frank Plummer, an international pioneer in AIDS research.  Plummer and his colleague, Dr. Allan Ronald, Head of Microbiology at the University of Manitoba, were quoted by the Canadian Pacific (CP) wire service on August 17.

Both researchers admitted that their views may be UNPOPULAR  - GIVEN THE ANTI-CIRCUMCISION TREND IN THE WEST , but their conclusions are based on research done in Africa.  In collaboration with the University of Nairobi in Kenya, the two researchers have started to unlock some of the mysteries of AIDS.

Research teams led by Dr. Plummer and Belgian Dr. Peter Piot - discoverer of the Ebola virus in Zaire in 1976, who now heads the UN AIDS programme - have dug out many pieces of the puzzle of how HIV is transmitted, how it locks into male and female genitalia and how it grows.  Among men, research indicates that an intact foreskin plays a large part in contracting HIV. "It's now recognized as an important factor for HIV infection among men," said Dr. Plummer.

Dr. Ronald pointed out that the earlier theory that HIV entered through the urethra is inaccurate.  Recent research indicates that it enters the body through the mucus membrane in the foreskin of men.  He theorises that the uncircumcised, moist foreskin provides ideal conditions in which the virus incubates before it can find a way to enter the body. 

Uncircumcised boys are also 15 times more likely to get bladder and kidney infections.  The foreskin acts as an incubator for all kinds of germs and viruses and has also been found to be responsible for transmitting sexual diseases.  Of course, these theories are based on the assumption that sexual contact between unmarried males and females is widespread - This is certainly true in Western Societies where male circumcision is also frowned upon.

Canadian researchers noted that after actively discouraging male circumcision, the American Paediatric Association has begun to ENDORSE IT AGAIN, ALBEIT QUIETLY.

Let us see, what the Holy Quran has to say on Homosexuality.

Let us read Chapter 7 Verses 80 to 84.  The Holy Quran says:

 وَلُوطًا إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَتَأْتُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مَا سَبَقَكُمْ بِهَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ

7.80 We also (sent) Lut: He said to his people: "Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you?

 إِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ الرِّجَالَ شَهْوَةً مِنْ دُونِ النِّسَاءِ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ قَوْمٌ مُسْرِفُونَ

7.81 "For ye practise your lusts on men in preference to women : ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds."

 وَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلا أَنْ قَالُوا أَخْرِجُوهُمْ مِنْ قَرْيَتِكُمْ إِنَّهُمْ أُنَاسٌ يَتَطَهَّرُونَ

7.82 And his people gave no answer but this: they said, "Drive them out of your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!"

(You can see the same arguments and the judgment meted out to those who speak out against such lewdness even today)

 فَأَنْجَيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ إِلا امْرَأَتَهُ كَانَتْ مِنَ الْغَابِرِينَ

7.83 But we saved him and his family, except his wife: she was of those who legged behind.

 وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ مَطَرًا فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ

7.84 And we rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): Then see what was the end of those who indulged in sin and crime! (Al-Araf [The Heights])

How beautiful is the warning given in the Holy Quran.  Exegetes say that the phrase Shower of Burning Stones - The Grammatical expression is that the Earth too exploded from within shooting up the molten lava high into the air and further fire and burning stones from heaven raining on a people who were given to such sin as homosexuality.  An entire people was destroyed. 

We will quote you another section of the Holy Quran: Chapter 26 Verses 161 to 173.  It says:

إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ لُوطٌ أَلا تَتَّقُونَ

26.161 Behold, their brother Lut said to them: "Will ye not fear (Allah)?

إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ

26.162 "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust.

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ

26.163 "So fear Allah and obey me.

وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلا عَلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

26.164 "No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the lord of the Worlds.

أَتَأْتُونَ الذُّكْرَانَ مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ

26.165 "Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males,

وَتَذَرُونَ مَا خَلَقَ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ قَوْمٌ عَادُونَ

26.166 "And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!"

قَالُوا لَئِنْ لَمْ تَنْتَهِ يَا لُوطُ لَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُخْرَجِينَ

26.167 They said: "If thou desist not, O Lut! thou wilt assuredly be cast out!"

قَالَ إِنِّي لِعَمَلِكُمْ مِنَ الْقَالِينَ

26.168 He said: "I do detest your doings."

رَبِّ نَجِّنِي وَأَهْلِي مِمَّا يَعْمَلُونَ

26.169 "O my Lord! deliver me and my family from such things as they do!"

فَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ أَجْمَعِينَ

26.170 So We delivered him and his family,- all

إِلا عَجُوزًا فِي الْغَابِرِينَ

26.171 Except an old woman who lingered behind.

ثُمَّ دَمَّرْنَا الآخَرِينَ

26.172 But the rest We destroyed utterly.

وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ مَطَرًا فَسَاءَ مَطَرُ الْمُنْذَرِينَ

26.173 We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): and evil was the shower on those who were admonished (but heeded not)!

إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَةً وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ

26.174 Verily in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.  (Ash-Shuara [The Poets])

And again in Chapter 27 verses 54 to 58 - The Holy Quran warns:

وَلُوطًا إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَتَأْتُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ وَأَنْتُمْ تُبْصِرُونَ

27.54 (We also sent) Lut (as a messenger): behold, He said to his people, "Do ye do what is shameful though ye see (its iniquity)?

أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ الرِّجَالَ شَهْوَةً مِنْ دُونِ النِّسَاءِ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ

27.55 Would ye really approach men in your lusts rather than women? Nay, ye are a people (grossly) ignorant!

فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلا أَنْ قَالُوا أَخْرِجُوا آلَ لُوطٍ مِنْ قَرْيَتِكُمْ إِنَّهُمْ أُنَاسٌ يَتَطَهَّرُونَ

27.56 But his people gave no other answer but this: they said, "Drive out the followers of Lut from your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!"

فَأَنْجَيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ إِلا امْرَأَتَهُ قَدَّرْنَاهَا مِنَ الْغَابِرِينَ

27.57 But We saved him and his family, except his wife; her We destined to be of those who lagged behind.

وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ مَطَرًا فَسَاءَ مَطَرُ الْمُنْذَرِينَ

27.58 And We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): and evil was the shower on those who were admonished (but heeded not)! (An-Naml [The Ant, The Ants])

Warning after warning comes to man from the Holy Quran and he heeds not.  Let us now look at the warnings given by our Holy Prophet.  Allah in His Mercy testifies to the Character of our Holy Prophet Muhummed (S) in 68:4 saying: 

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ

68.4 And You (O Muhummed) you are on an exalted standard of character. (Al-Qalam [The Pen])

and in various other verses in the Holy Quran saying that You have been sent to establish High standard of Morals.  Our Holy Prophet said:

عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ (ص) إِنَّ أَخْوَفَ مَا أَخَافُ عَلَى اُمَّتِيْ عَمَلَ لُوْطٍ (الترمذي وابن ماجه)

Jabir Reported that the Messenger of Allah (S) said: Verily the most fearful of what I fear over my people is the action of the people of Looth.

He also said:

"Four types of people get up in the morning, while they are under the wrath of Allah."  When asked who they are:   Those men who try to resemble women.  And those women who try to resemble men (in dress and behaviour) and those who commit sex with animals; and those men who commit sex with men (Tabarani and Baihaqi)

In another Hadith -

Ibn Abbas reports that the Messenger of Allah said: "God Almighty will not look at a man who commits sex with a man, or a woman through her anus.  He also said" that if a man commits an unnatural act of sex with a man, they are both adulterers, and if a woman commits such an act with a woman, both are adulteresses."  And the punishment will be as for adulterers and adulteresses:

 الزَّانِيَةُ وَالزَّانِي فَاجْلِدُوا كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا مِائَةَ جَلْدَةٍ وَلا تَأْخُذْكُمْ بِهِمَا رَأْفَةٌ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَلْيَشْهَدْ عَذَابَهُمَا طَائِفَةٌ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

24.2 The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication,- flog each of them with a hundred stripes: Let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if ye believe in Allah and the Last Day: and let a party of the Believers witness their punishment.  An-Noor [The Light])

So you can see the laws in the Holy Quran are there to protect Humanity - to keep intact the social fabric.  Islam is not only concerned with the Health and Hygiene aspect of life; it is also concerned with the Morality of Humanity.

So if the Maestros and the Pundits of the world really want to control the spread of AIDS and eradicate this evil horror - the only way that is open to them is the guidance of  the Holy Quran and the guidance of Our Holy Prophet Muhummed (May the Peace and Blessings be upon him and his family). 

We shall now wind - up with a quotation from the Holy Quran :

 يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ وَمَنْ يَتَّبِعْ خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَإِنَّهُ يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَلَوْلا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُزَكِّي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

24.21 O ye who believe! follow not Satan's footsteps: if any will follow the footsteps of Satan, he will (but) command what is shameful and wrong: and were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah on you, not one of you would ever have been pure: but Allah doth purify whom He pleases: and Allah is One Who hears and knows (all things).  (An-Noor [The Light])

Let us therefore seek repentance from the Almighty and ask Allah to forgive us our sins and may He guide us all along the right path .  AAMEEN

وآخِرُ دَعْوَانَا اَن ِالْحَمْدُ لِلهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْن

السّلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

World estimates of the HIV & AIDS epidemics at the end of 2005

Regional statistics for HIV & AIDS end of 2005

During 2004 around five million adults and children became infected with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), the virus that causes AIDS. By the end of the year, an estimated 40.3 million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS. The year also saw more than three million deaths from AIDS, despite recent improvements in access to antiretroviral treatment.

More information

AVERT.org has many pages of national and regional HIV & AIDS statistics and a guide to understanding the statistics.

 Notes

Adults in this report are defined as men and women aged 15-49. This age range captures those in their most sexually active years. While the risk of HIV infection continues beyond the age of 50, the vast majority of people with substantial risk behaviour are likely to have become infected by this age. Since population structures differ greatly from one country to another, especially for children and the upper adult ages, the restriction of 'adults' to 15-49 has the advantage of making different populations more comparable.

Children orphaned by AIDS are those children under 18 who have lost one or both parents to AIDS.

All the statistics on this page need to be interpreted with caution because they are estimates.

Sources:

·                                 UNAIDS/WHO AIDS epidemic update, December 2005

·                                 UNAIDS/WHO 2004 Report on the global AIDS epidemic