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  AIDS 
  Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), was first isolated in 1983. By June 1998, the number of AIDS cases reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) was close to 1.9 million. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has brought new meaning and attention to the globalization of health problems. It is estimated that, since the start of the epidemic, 30.6 million people worldwide have become infected with HIV and nearly 12 million have died from AIDS or AIDS-related diseases (WHO Fact Sheet No. 97, revised August 1998).
 

While the number of AIDS cases diagnosed in 2000 was 1.4% lower than that in 1999, the overall rate declined more substantially in the three years prior. And the number of people affected by HIV/AIDS remains significant, with 5.3 million new HIV infections and 36.1 million living with HIV/AIDS in 2000 (HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, Midyear edition, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2001).

This epidemic presents a major economic burden. There is growing evidence that as HIV prevalence rates increase, gross domestic product (GDP) falls significantly. In countries where the HIV prevalence rate is greater than or equal to 20% (as it is in a number of countries in southern Africa) the GDP can decline up to 2% per year (HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, Midyear edition, Vol. 13, No. 1, June 2001).

Recognizing the immense social and economic impact of HIV and AIDS, The France Foundation is dedicated to educating medical professionals about this disease. To view available activities, please visit our homepage.

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