With 2.9 million dying in 2006 and 39.5 million currently infected globally, HIV/AIDS is wreaking havoc on the world. While a majority of HIV positive individuals are living in developing countries, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, AIDS is still a very relevant and pressing issue here in the United States, with 1.4 million individuals living with HIV.

In order to increase visibility and awareness of the disease, World AIDS Day is internationally celebrated on Dec. 1. This year the Penn State Global AIDS Initiative held events yesterday and will hold more today.

While activities on Nov. 30 will focus mainly on providing students with information about the virus, its transmission and how to get tested, events on Dec. 1 will include the participation of various student groups.

Displays on Friday will concentrate on a specific aspect of the AIDS epidemic, ranging from children's rights issues to how students can become actively involved in fighting this global crisis.

Twenty panels of the Memorial AIDS Quilt will accompany all of these events. The Quilt, composed of patches created by friends and family who have lost loved ones to AIDS, is a powerful and personal representation of the severe impact AIDS has made upon humanity.