United against AIDS
It is a time to celebrate research advances in prevention and treatment, improved accessibility to therapies, and increased awareness and understanding of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS. It is also a time, however, to remember that despite encouraging statistics, the global epidemic continues.
At the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and the Research Institute of the MUHC, our researchers, doctors, students and employees are all contributing in their own ways to halting the spread of HIV and offering the best possible care to those who are affected by the disease, bringing them hope and comfort. Here are some of their faces and messages. Click on the images below to read more.
Some facts and figures about the MUHC's Chronic Viral Illness Service
- The team follows patients who are living with HIV, hepatitis C, and HIV/hepatitis C co-infection
- 2,000 patients with HIV have been followed in the past year
- 250 new HIV patients are admitted each year
- More than half of the patients are over 50 years old
AIDS around the world
UNAIDS is an UN-affiliated organization whose goal is to reduce HIV transmission, improve access to treatment, and eliminate the infection of children, stigmatization and discrimination. UNAIDS furnishes the following global statistics:
- 15.8 million people accessing antiretroviral therapy (June 2015)
- 36.9 million people globally living with HIV (end 2014)
- 2 million people newly infected with HIV (end 2014)
- 1.2 million people died from AIDS-related illnesses (end 2014)