What can be said that hasn’t been said already? Today is World AIDS Day, and it is being observed by concerned citizens all over the world (including artists and webloggers). Forty million people currently have HIV, and the disease is spreading at an alarming rate in many places—most notably Sub-Saharan Africa (BBC stats page). The search for a vaccine continues, as human rights groups and drug companies argue over the definition of fair access to AIDS treatment drugs.

To me, the most frightening aspect of all of this is that while AIDS has been transformed from a death-sentence to a potentially survivable illness by expensive treatments, the availability of such treatments seems to have placated the Western World’s concerns about the spread of the disease. The epidemic has not been turned back. Focus on prevention should take priority above all other efforts.