Worldwide, 1.8 million people became newly infected with HIV in the last year. 35 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the beginning of the epidemic. This global crisis affects the most vulnerable members of a community, leaving broken families or families without adequate income to support themselves. As of 2015, an estimated 13.4 million children and adolescents worldwide had lost one or both parents to AIDS.

However, there is good news—AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 48% since the peak in 2005. Efforts at education, healthcare, and intervention are making a difference.