Today is World AIDS Day, I guess, according to the radio program this morning. The organization UNAIDS estimates that there are now 33.2 million people living with HIV, including 2.5 million children.

I ran the numbers based on an estimate of the world's population of 6.7 billion. It comes out to less than 1/2 of one percent of the world's population, with most of the victims being in developing countries.

Sure, it's bad, but back in January the Associated Press reported:

"The world invests about $8 billion to $10 billion into AIDS every year, more than 100 times what it spends on clean water projects in developing countries. Yet more than 2 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation, and about 1 billion lack clean water."

In a world where the loudest voice gets the most money, those with the biggest problems are often shunted to the side. “Diarrhea kills five times as many kids as AIDS,” said John Oldfield, executive vice president of Water Advocates, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that promotes clean water.

Oldfield reports that people at high-class parties will discuss AIDS all day long, but flake out when the subject of diarrhea comes up. They prefer to live in their illusion that doing something about AIDS is the most noble thing.