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.