Today, there are more than 1.2 million people living with HIV in the U.S. and there are more than 35,000 new infections each year. people with AIDS have died since the beginning of the epidemic. More than 700,000 people in the U.S., have died from HIV-related illness.
The AIDS epidemic challenged public health organizations to set aside traditional policies and practices for the containment of infectious diseases, such as quarantine and mass mandatory testing, and adopt new methods of control, such as education and outreach.
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS epidemic has already devastated many individuals, families, and communities. The epidemic has left millions of children orphaned, has disrupted village and community life, and increasingly contributes to the erosion of civil order and economic growth.