With close to 20 million deaths since the early days of the epidemic, 40 million people living with HIV, 4.3 million new infections and 2.9 million deaths caused by AIDS in 2006, the world is facing the most severe health crisis in history.
While much progress has been achieved, so much more remains to do!
— Serge Dumont, UNAIDS Special Representative on World AIDS Day, 1 December 2006