Introduction

In 2007 an estimated 33.2 million people worldwide were living with HIV infection. Since the beginning of the epidemic in 1981, an estimated 25 million people have died worldwide due to AIDS. In 2007 alone, AIDS claimed the lives of approximately 2.1 million people, or over 5,700 people per day.

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has created weekly factsheets on domestic and global HIV/AIDS. Titled "HIV/AIDS Today," these factsheets will summarize information about the current state of the epidemic, its causes, responses across various sectors, and ongoing research and policy questions. Information is a powerful tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and Chairman Waxman hopes these factsheets will be useful in that fight.

Factsheets

Friday, June 20, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 22

Tuberculosis is the second greatest infectious disease killer of youth and adults in the world, killing nearly 5,000 people a day. This week’s HIV/AIDS Today examines the transmission, prevention, and treatment of tuberculosis and discusses the relationship between TB and HIV.

Friday, June 13, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 21

This week’s edition of HIV/AIDS Today describes research into microbicides, a potential tool for primary prevention of sexual transmission of HIV.

Friday, June 06, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 20

Vaccines have proven highly effective in controlling many infectious diseases, but to date there is no vaccine for HIV. This week’s HIV/AIDS Today factsheet focuses on efforts to develop an HIV vaccine.

Friday, May 23, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 19

Administered shortly after exposure to HIV, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) antiretroviral drugs can help reduce the risk of HIV infection. This week’s HIV/AIDS Today summarizes the clinical recommendations and research on HIV post-exposure prophylaxis.

Friday, May 16, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 18

This week’s HIV/AIDS Today factsheet focuses on male circumcision, a practice that studies have shown to be effective in reducing a man’s risk of contracting HIV infection by more than 50%.

Friday, May 09, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 17

This week’s HIV/AIDS Today factsheet discusses the role of drug adherence and drug resistance for individual patients and the epidemic overall.

Friday, May 02, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 16

This week’s edition of HIV/AIDS Today reviews the impact of the epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Friday, April 25, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 15

This week’s edition of HIV/AIDS Today reviews the state of India’s epidemic.

Friday, April 18, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 14

This week’s edition of HIV/AIDS Today reviews the impact of the epidemic in Southeast Asia.

Friday, April 11, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 13

The Caribbean is second only to Sub-Saharan Africa in the percentage of the population living with HIV/AIDS. Today’s HIV/AIDS factsheet discusses the transmission, prevention, care, and treatment of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean.

Friday, April 04, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 12

In many developing countries, malnourishment is both a cause and an effect of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This week’s factsheet explores the link between HIV/AIDS and nutrition.

Friday, March 28, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 11

As HIV/AIDS progresses, it weakens the host immune system, leaving the body vulnerable to “opportunistic infections.” This week’s factsheet reviews common opportunistic infections and measures to reduce their incidence.

Friday, March 21, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 10

This week’s HIV/AIDS Today will focus on children who are orphaned or otherwise made vulnerable by the AIDS epidemic.

Friday, March 14, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 9

Mother-to-child transmission of HIV is the most significant source of HIV infection in young children. This week’s edition of HIV/AIDS Today reviews this mode of transmission and current recommendations on reducing the risk.

Friday, March 07, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 8

Women are differently, and often disproportionately, affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This week’s edition of HIV/AIDS Today examines the factors that contribute to this pattern.

Friday, February 29, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 7

More than two thirds of all people with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa. This week’s factsheet details the scope and impact of the epidemic in the region.

Friday, February 22, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 6

The development of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has helped transform HIV/AIDS from a death sentence to a chronic yet manageable disease for most individuals. While highly effective at improving the chance of survival and the quality of life, HAART does not eliminate the virus from the body, and must be taken indefinitely. Today’s HIV/AIDS factsheet addresses the science behind HAART and various aspects of the treatment.

Friday, February 15, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 5

The technology available to detect HIV infection has evolved since the beginning of the epidemic. This week’s factsheet provides an overview of HIV testing techniques available today.

Friday, February 08, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 4

This week’s edition of HIV/AIDS Today reviews the routes by which HIV is transmitted.

Friday, February 01, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 3

This week’s factsheet discusses the United States response to the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Friday, January 25, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 2

In 1983, scientists discovered the virus that causes AIDS: the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV. This edition of HIV/AIDS Today discusses how HIV affects the immune system and how untreated HIV infection progresses to AIDS.

Friday, January 18, 2008

HIV/AIDS Today, Issue 1

On June 5, 1981, the first cases of AIDS were reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By 1985, at least one AIDS case had been reported from each region of the world, and by 2007, over 58 million people worldwide had been infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. This week’s factsheet provides an overview of the global epidemic today.

More Information

Click here to learn about the Committee's investigations into issues involving HIV/AIDS.