million cases of AIDS had been reported to the World

By 1st January 1995, a cumulative total of a million cases of AIDS had been reported to the World . Eighteen million adults and 1.5 million children were estimated to have been infected with HIV since the beginning of the epidemic.⁵⁸

Later in the month the CDC announced that in the US, AIDS had become the leading cause of death amongst all Americans aged 25 to 44.

“The dramatic rise is due to the accumulating toll from AIDS and is almost certain to continue because of AIDS deaths reflect infections from HIV, the AIDS virus that were acquired several years earlier.”Dr. Harold W. Jaffe of the CDC -⁵⁹

Two research reports provided important new information about how HIV replicates in the body and how it affects the immune system.^{60 61}

Meanwhile in the USA, two reports by government scientists recommended that the Clinton administration lift the ban on federal funding for needle exchange programs, because the programmes had been shown to be effective in reducing the spread of disease.^{62 63}

In March the VII International Conference for People Living with HIV and AIDS was held in Cape Town, South Africa - the first time that the annual conference was held in Africa.⁶⁴ The conference was opened by the deputy President, Thabo Mbeki, who spoke about how:

"the impact has begun to cut deep. Those affected are from the young and able-bodied work-force as well as young intellectuals."⁶⁵

The South African Ministry of Health announced that some 850,000 people - 2.1% of the 40 million population - were believed to be HIV positive. Among pregnant women the figure had reached 8% and was rising.⁶⁶

Former UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot

The conference was also addressed by Dr Piot, the Director of the new Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS). Dr Piot confirmed his commitment to involve people living with HIV/AIDS in the planning, shaping and guiding of the global response to the epidemic.⁶⁷

In July, the US Senate voted to extend the Ryan White Care Act.⁶⁸ As a result of the first five years of the Act:

"in the place of activists there were now thousands of AIDS organisations throughout the country - the AIDS "industry" made possible by the Ryan White Care Act".⁶⁹

By the autumn of 1995, 7-8 million women of childbearing age were believed to have been infected with HIV. The WHO spoke out about the 'inadequate international response':

"The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on women … is not yet receiving sufficient political awareness, commitment or enough action of programmes responding to the specific needs of women."⁷⁰

Also in August, researchers announced the results of a study in Tanzania, which found that treating people for sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhoea substantially reduced their risk of becoming infected with HIV.⁷¹

In September two clinical trials, the Delta trial and the ACTG175 trial, showed that combinations of AZT with ddI or ddC were more effective than AZT alone in delaying disease progression and prolonging life.⁷²

On 1st December, World AIDS Day, Nelson Mandela called on all South Africans to

"speak out against the stigma, blame, shame and denial that has thus far been associated with this epidemic."⁷³

Protease Inhibitors

The FDA approved the first of a potent new family of anti-AIDS medications. The drug saquinavir belonged to a class of drugs called protease inhibitors. Its approval in record time was said to be:

"some of the most hopeful news in years for people living with AIDS."⁷⁴

By December 15th, the World Health Organisation had received reports of 1,291,810 cumulative cases of AIDS in adults and children from 193 countries or areas. The WHO estimated that the actual number of cases that had occurred was around 6 million. Eight countries in Africa had reported more than 20,000 cases.⁷⁵

Other organisations estimated that by the end of 1995, 9.2 million people worldwide had died from AIDS.⁷⁶

Worldwide during 1995, it was estimated that 4.7 million new HIV infections occurred. Of these, 2.5 million occurred in Southeast Asia and 1.9 million in sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 500,000 children were born with HIV infection.⁷⁷

The WHO's Global programme on AIDS closed as planned on 31st December 1995.⁷⁸ They estimated that by the end of the century, 30 to 40 million people would have been affected by HIV