As AIDS is a global pandemic, killing millions of people, measures have to be taken in order to decrease the number of deaths. In the short-term, in an effort to reach the target, governments must carry on expanding the employ of the methods currently at people’s disposal. Abstinence and faithfulness campaigns, condoms, and male circumcision are prevention methods that count among them.

However, these methods alone aren’t enough to win the fight against AIDS. Mainly for the long-term, the world population needs to make use of a more effective weapon; a weapon that hasn’t been developed yet but whose research is ceaseless – an AIDS vaccine.

But will such a saving method be possible? Will scientists be able to create it? It’s a tough question. Because AIDS is a global pandemic, the search for a vaccine requires a global effort. Researchers worldwide are working to develop it. A promising presumptive AIDS vaccine that was tested in Africa and the Americas has just failed. But one must have a glimmer of hope.

According to Cesar Nunez of Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, the cost of AIDS treatment last year was an estimated 10 billion U.S dollars, and the amount of money will increase by more than 50 percent in 2010. Nevertheless, less resources are expected to be allocated in comparison with how much is needed to cover the treatment for AIDS-infected people in the next years, Nunez told Xinhua prior to the 17th World Conference on AIDS scheduled for Aug. 3-8.