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The United States has announced a plan to significantly reduce the global spread of AIDS. Advances in research and treatment of the disease has many officials feeling hopeful. According to the United Nations, about 34 million people worldwide are living with HIV, and 2.5 million were infected last year alone. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control says there is an alarming rise in the spread of HIV among teenagers and young adults, with 1,000 new infections each month. Yet public officials and health care workers say the world is nearing a turning point on AIDS, the disease caused by the HIV virus. In advance of World AIDS Day [December 1, 2012], U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton outlined a plan calling for global efforts toward improving treatment and preventing the spread of HIV. "We can reach a point where virtually no children are born with the virus. And as these children become teenagers and adults, they are at a far lower risk of becoming infected than they are today," said Clinton. Key finds spur treatment Dr. Anthony Fauci, who heads AIDS research at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, said medical advances have made the difference. "Right now, we're in a very interesting position where we have the tools and the wherewithal to have a major impact on turning around the trajectory of the AIDS pandemic," said Fauci. One of the tools involves treating people early in their infection, before they get sick. This allows those with HIV to lead productive lives. And studies show it dramatically reduces the odds that they will infect a sexual partner. | 
