[originaltext] More than three-million people died of AIDS last year. The e

More than three-million people died of AIDS last year.  The estimate is that five-million others became infected with H. I. V. , the virus that causes the disease. Right now, researchers say around forty-million people are living with the virus. The United Nations says there could be forty-five million new cases by 2010.
    Public health experts say the media have a central part to play in the fight against AIDS. They point to drama series on television and radio in a number of countries.
    In Ivory Coast, for example, the weekly show "AIDS in the City" has been on television since 1994. The program tells stories with actors in an effort to educate people about AIDS.
    Researchers say about two-thirds of people in South Africa watch the show "Soul City."
     A show created with BBC help has become one of India’ s most-watched dramas.  In "Detective Vijay," the main hero is a policeman with H. I.V. A United Nations report says the program appears to be educating people. The report says eighty-five percent of those questioned had learned something new about AIDS from the show.
    In China, millions watch a daily program called "Ordinary People ".  A non-profit group based in the United States helped create this drama show about social issues.  The group assists governments, local groups, and radio and television stations to develop media campaigns. The group supports what it calls the magic of entertainment for social change.