World AIDS Day 2008 is the 20th year we have come together as a global community to reflect on the HIV/AIDS pandemic. As a leader in the domestic and global fight to stop this disease, CDC continues to pursue a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy to increase routine testing; expand surveillance systems; develop behavioral and biomedical approaches; support health systems strengthening; and ensure effective and accessible programs.

In the United States, we face many challenges: relieving the HIV burden on our African American and Latino communities; confronting complex issues that keep gay and bisexual men at risk; and arming our youth with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to prevent HIV.

As a global community fighting against HIV/AIDS, we must continue our coordination of efforts at home and abroad to end this disease.

PEPFAR Reauthorization Act of 2008

This World AIDS Day we celebrate the recent reauthorization of the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act.

Over the last five years, CDC has leveraged its core strengths to make unique contributions to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Over the next 10 years, CDC continues its participation in this effort to provide treatment for at least 3 million people; prevent 12 million new infections; and provide care for 12 million people, including 5 million orphans and vulnerable children.

CDC will continue its leadership roles in the areas of health systems strengthening, treatment, prevention, laboratory capacity building, surveillance, and human capacity development. CDC will also provide expertise in program monitoring, impact evaluation and operational research, microbicide research and development, and malaria operations and implementation research.

This reauthorization affirms our nation's compassion for and commitment to people around the world infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS. CDC is proud to continue its commitment to the global efforts to stop this disease.

"Facing AIDS" is a campaign to help reduce stigma.

December 1 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, a time to reflect on how HIV and AIDS affect people worldwide and to celebrate the many lives saved by HIV prevention and treatment programs. It also serves as a reminder that we all must do more - as individuals, communities, and as world citizens - to fight the spread of HIV and AIDS.

CDC currently estimates that approximately one in five persons living with HIV in the United States is unaware of his or her infection and may be unknowingly transmitting the virus to others. Since anyone can be at risk for HIV, CDC recommends that adults and adolescents between the ages of 13 and 64 years of age be routinely screened for HIV infection in healthcare settings. Pregnant women in the US should be screened for HIV infection as part of their routine prenatal testing.

For World AIDS Day 2008, we all need to commit to expanding the reach of effective prevention efforts to those at risk and those living with HIV in order to stop the further spread of HIV.

Web tools and additional resources are available on the World AIDS Day page on hivtest.cdc.gov.