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AIDS: Weapon of Mass Destruction
by Anai Rhoads
AIDS is the real Weapons of Mass Destruction according to United
Nation Secretary General Kofi Annan. In Annan's tail-end annual press conference, he called
AIDS a crisis, one that claims 8,000 lives worldwide on daily basis.
Annan expressed concern over the international community's controversy over restricted and
banned weapons while many suffer and die needlessly in the battle against AIDS. While
terrorism and threat are important, the reality of poverty and death in many parts around
the world have equal importance.
UNAIDS estimates that there were an approximately 36.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS.
Roughly 34.7 million adults and 1.4 million children under 15 have it and an estimated 21.8
million people have died of AIDS.
More than 11 million children under the age of fifteen have lost at least one parent in the
sub-Saharan Africa alone. According to UNAIDS, a staggering 34 million children are orphans
as result.
Further Help
Centers for Disease Control - CDC. Toll-free HIV/AIDS support (800) 342-2437.
©2003 Anai Rhoads. Reproduction must be authorised in writing only, and altering the
material and this copyright is prohibited and protected by international law. Please
contact Anai Rhoads for reprint and licencing permission.
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