This annual update reports on developments in the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and draws on the most recent data available to give global and regional estimates of its scope and human toll. This edition also includes a special section on women and AIDS. Findings for 2004 include: the total number of people living with HIV reached its highest ever level of an estimated 39.4 million, with numbers rising in every region; 4.9 million new cases during the year and an estimated 3.1 million deaths; globally, just under half of all people living with HIV are women, with the proportion continuing to rise in most regions, particularly in Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America.

This report presents three hypothetical case studies for how the AIDS epidemic in Africa could evolve over the next 20 years based on policy decisions taken today by African leaders and the rest of the world; and considers the factors likely to drive the future responses of African countries and the international community. The scenarios draw on the age-old tradition of story-telling, rather than using data projections, to explore the wider context of the AIDS epidemic, reflecting the complexity of the subject matter.