This is the third decade of the HIV epidemic and the virus continues to spread virtually unchecked throughout the world.

The estimated number of persons living with HIV worldwide in 2007 was 33.2 million, a reduction of 16% compared with the estimates published in 2006 (39.5 million) (UNAIDS/WHO, 2006). More than 90% of these infections are in the developing countries.

The single biggest reason for this reduction was the intensive exercise to assess India ’s HIV epidemic in India , which has resulted in a major revision. Important revision of estimates elsewhere, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa , also contributed to this reduction.

Every day over 6800 persons get infected with HIV and over 5700 persons die from AIDS, mostly because of inadequate access to HIV prevention treatment services .The estimated number of deaths due to AIDS in 2007 was 2.1 million worldwide, of which 76% occurred in developing countries. Global HIV incidence peaked in the late 1990s at over 3 million new infection per year, was estimated to be 2.5 million new infection in 2007 of which over two thirds,(68%)occurred in the developing countries.

India has a large share of HIV/AIDS patients and each year, NACO, the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare and the National Institute of Medical Statistics (a body under ICMR) bring out estimates of India’s population living with HIV and AIDS.The estimates from the year 2006 suggest that national adult HIV prevalence in India is approximately 0.36 percent, amounting to between 2 and 3.1 million people. If an average figure is taken, this comes to 2.5 million people living with HIV and AIDS.