Today is World AIDS Day.

The World Health Organization announced its plan to fight HIV and AIDS by training 100,000 workers, overhauling the efforts of 10,000 clinics in poor countries, and making drugs used to combat infection more available.

Also this week, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson is leading an 80 member delegation to Africa where HIV/AIDS has had a devastating impact.

At today's United Nations briefing, Secretary General Kofi Annan warned that current efforts fall well short of what's needed to seriously combat HIV/AIDS, pointing out that the UN has failed to reach several of the goals listed in a 2001 declaration.

It's estimated that 40 million people worldwide are now infected, and three million will die this year from the disease. Learn more about UN efforts to fight this terrible epidemic here.