AP

Thursday marks "World Aids Day," and health officials have a new recommendation for anyone living with HIV.

Standard practice has been to put off the expensive pill regimen, but officials now say those diagnosed should be offered AIDS drugs immediately. The reasoning is that a more aggressive approach will prolong life, and slow it from spreading.

President Barack Obama is expected to announce Thursday a new initiative to bring AIDS drugs to two million more people living with the disease around the world within the next two years. The president is also expected to target the disease at a domestic level by increasing spending on HIV and AIDS treatment by $50 million.

There are 1.2 million Americans living with HIV, with 50,000 more cases popping up yearly. More than 38 million live with HIV worldwide. Sub-Saharan Africa is by far the worst affected region, with more than 22 million infected.

Obama is expected to announce his administration's new goals