What is AIDS?

AIDS Care Fund—helping people living with AIDS

What is AIDS?

AIDS is the last stage of a long-lasting disease that diminishes the body’s ability to fight off infections. The disease is caused by infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) progressively destroys the immune system by attacking certain white blood cells, called the CD4 lymphocyte or T-cell. AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) occurs when HIV-infected persons develop a life-threatening condition or the number of disease fighting T-cells in their body becomes dangerously low.

Recent therapies for HIV disease dramatically limit the multiplication of HIV in the body, slowing the advancement of the disease and prolonging life. However, HIV infection is still fatal. An effective vaccine to prevent infection in persons exposed to the virus has not yet been developed.

AIDS now ranks among the top four of the world’s killers.

36.1 million worldwide living with AIDS/HIV
1.4 million children under 14 years old
13 million children in Africa will lose a mother or both parents to AIDS
(the leading cause of death in Africa)
Over 6 million people are living with HIV/AIDS In Asia

UNAIDS/World Health Organization estimates