A new HBO special, titled "VICE Special Report: Countdown to Zero," will cover just how soon we are to something the world hasn’t seen since before the 1980s: an AIDS-free generation. The report features interviews from leading HIV researchers, activists, and patients who thoroughly explore just how close we are to making this dream a reality.

HIV treatment has advanced greatly since the virus was first officially recognized in 1982. Today, infection rates are down, medications are available to help prevent individuals from contracting the virus via sexual contact, and doctors are able to completely stop the transmission of HIV from mother to child.

In 2008, Timothy Brown, also known as The Berlin Patient, became the first person in history to be functionally cured of HIV. However, researchers are confident soon he will no longer be the only person to boast the title. The VICE report follows scientists who are working to use Brown’s case as a model for an eventual cure, and according to the experts, they aren’t far off. For the special, VICE journalists explore just what researchers have been working on for the past 30 plus years, and see first hand how these breakthroughs are affecting patients living with the virus.

“We’re on the brink of scientific developments that will end the disease for good  —  but it isn’t gone yet,” explained VICE executive producer Shane Smith, as reported by Medium. “This documentary is a comprehensive look at the state of HIV/AIDS today, how far we’ve come in fighting it, and how far we still have to go.”

The special, which includes interviews with former U.S. president George W. Bush and rock star Bono, will air on HBO Dec. 1.