Internationally Significant Historical Event in

¶ … Internationally Significant Historical Event In my opinion the most internationally significant event in modern history has been the formal identification of the HIV virus. The official date on which this virus was officially recognized, June 18, 1982, marks the beginning of the HIV / AIDS epidemic. This was the date when the "U.S.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report newsletter that unusual clusters of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia has been discovered in gay men in Los Angeles in the early 1980s." (Wikipedia: AIDS) This discovery was to result in the discovery of more clusters of Pneumocystis carinii in otherwise healthy men in various cities throughout the United States.

Why is this date and event of such great importance? The reason is that AIDS has spread dramatically throughout the world since then and become one of the greatest threats to the humanity that ever existed. While many developed counties like the United States have, to a large extent, controlled the spread of the disease, yet it is growing and an increasing and extremely alarming rate in other areas of the world.

One has only to glance at the latest statistics on HIV / AIDS in the world to realize the importance of this date. At present the rough estimate of people who have died of AIDS -as at the end of 2004 - stands at 20 million. (World estimates of the HIV & AIDS epidemics at the end of 2004) It must be remembered that this is a conservative estimate, as AIDS is not a reportable disease in many countries.

This means that those with the HIV virus do not have to declare this fact and their deaths are often attributed to other causes; therefore skewing the correct statistics of deaths due to HIV / AIDS. AIDS is also one of the most insidious diseases in existence as those who are HIV positive do not die from AIDS as such, but from the damage that the virus causes to their immune system.

Possibly the worst aspect of this disease is that it is sexually transmitted; which means that it is passed on through one of the most common and natural of human activities. Furthermore there is at present no sign of a cure for the disease. HIV / AIDS is worsening in the world in general. Recent reports from Asia, for example, state that there is a growing crisis and even an epidemic of Aids in that region.

HIV / AIDS also affects regions of the worlds which are less capable of fighting the disease. In particular Aids has had a dramatic effect on poverty stricken third-world countries in Africa. Poverty exacerbates the disease and those who have the virus cannot fight the disease due to a depleted immune system. The statistics from this region are shocking. Women and children are very susceptible and by December 2004 "..

women accounted for 47% of all people living with HIV worldwide, and for 57% in sub-Saharan Africa." (World estimates of the HIV & AIDS epidemics at the end of 2004) at least 25 million people are living with HIV / AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Even more worrying is that more than 6000 young people throughout the world become infected with the HIV.