Africa 'still has most HIV cases'

[Guest guest]

Members,

You can get the update at

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/21_11_06_unaids.pdf and of

course it is in pdf format.

Just read the article below..read on

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6166530.stm

Africa 'still has most HIV cases'

Sub-Saharan Africa still sees the most cases of HIV/Aids

Sub-Saharan Africa is still bearing the brunt of the HIV/Aids

epidemic, a UNAids report has revealed.

Almost three-quarters of deaths from Aids in 2006 occurred there and

two-thirds of those living with HIV are in that area.

UNAids says there are an estimated 39.5 million people now living

with HIV.

The number living with the virus has increased everywhere, with the

most striking increases in East Asia and Central Asia/Eastern Europe.

It is imperative that we continue to increase investment in both

HIV prevention and treatment services to reduce unnecessary deaths

and illness from this disease

Dr Anders Nordström

World Health Organization

HIV/Aids around the world

Some countries, such as Uganda, are seeing a resurgence in new HIV

infection rates which were previously stable or declining.

The report, which is based on disease surveillance around the world,

says there were an estimated 4.3 million new HIV infections this

year, with 2.8 million of these occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.

Forty per cent of new infections were in people aged 15 to 24-years-

old.

In 2006, 2.9 million died of Aids-related illnesses.

The report says: " The future course of the world's HIV epidemics

hinges in many respects on the behaviours young people adopt and

maintain, and the factors that affect those choices. "

Women at risk

In Eastern Europe/Central Asia there was a 70% increase in the number

of new infections seen in 2006 compared with 2004 - 270,000 compared

with 160,000.

In South-East Asia, the number of new infections rose by 15% from

2004 to 2006.

The increase is fuelled by high-risk behaviour such as injecting drug

use, unprotected paid-for sex and unprotected sex between men.

Across the world, women are more likely to be affected by HIV than

ever before, the report reveals.

In sub-Saharan Africa, there are around 14 women living with HIV for

every 10 men.

UNAids also says the HIV epidemics in Mozambique, South Africa and

Swaziland are continuing to grow.

Vulnerable

Zimbabwe is the only southern African country where the prevalence of

HIV among adults is falling.

Dr Piot, UNAids executive director, warned it was vital to

sustain HIV prevention efforts, and to ensure they were adapted where

necessary to target the most vulnerable.

He said " We need to greatly intensify life-saving prevention efforts

while we expand HIV treatment programmes. "

In some countries, even limited resources have shown benefit when

correctly targeted.

For example, China has had success in reducing HIV rates among sex

workers, and injecting drug users, and in Portugal HIV diagnoses

among drug injectors fell by almost a third between 2001 and 2005

following the implementation of special prevention programmes.

However, the report warns that in many countries prevention

programmes are not reaching the people most at risk.

Dr Anders Nordström, acting director-general of the World Health

Organization, said: " It is imperative that we continue to increase

investment in both HIV prevention and treatment services to reduce

unnecessary deaths and illness from this disease. "

--- End forwarded message ---

[Guest guest]

Members,

You can get the update at

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/21_11_06_unaids.pdf and of

course it is in pdf format.

Just read the article below..read on

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6166530.stm

Africa 'still has most HIV cases'

Sub-Saharan Africa still sees the most cases of HIV/Aids

Sub-Saharan Africa is still bearing the brunt of the HIV/Aids

epidemic, a UNAids report has revealed.

Almost three-quarters of deaths from Aids in 2006 occurred there and

two-thirds of those living with HIV are in that area.

UNAids says there are an estimated 39.5 million people now living

with HIV.

The number living with the virus has increased everywhere, with the

most striking increases in East Asia and Central Asia/Eastern Europe.

It is imperative that we continue to increase investment in both

HIV prevention and treatment services to reduce unnecessary deaths

and illness from this disease

Dr Anders Nordström

World Health Organization

HIV/Aids around the world

Some countries, such as Uganda, are seeing a resurgence in new HIV

infection rates which were previously stable or declining.

The report, which is based on disease surveillance around the world,

says there were an estimated 4.3 million new HIV infections this

year, with 2.8 million of these occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.

Forty per cent of new infections were in people aged 15 to 24-years-

old.

In 2006, 2.9 million died of Aids-related illnesses.

The report says: " The future course of the world's HIV epidemics

hinges in many respects on the behaviours young people adopt and

maintain, and the factors that affect those choices. "

Women at risk

In Eastern Europe/Central Asia there was a 70% increase in the number

of new infections seen in 2006 compared with 2004 - 270,000 compared

with 160,000.

In South-East Asia, the number of new infections rose by 15% from

2004 to 2006.

The increase is fuelled by high-risk behaviour such as injecting drug

use, unprotected paid-for sex and unprotected sex between men.

Across the world, women are more likely to be affected by HIV than

ever before, the report reveals.

In sub-Saharan Africa, there are around 14 women living with HIV for

every 10 men.

UNAids also says the HIV epidemics in Mozambique, South Africa and

Swaziland are continuing to grow.

Vulnerable

Zimbabwe is the only southern African country where the prevalence of

HIV among adults is falling.

Dr Piot, UNAids executive director, warned it was vital to

sustain HIV prevention efforts, and to ensure they were adapted where

necessary to target the most vulnerable.

He said " We need to greatly intensify life-saving prevention efforts

while we expand HIV treatment programmes. "

In some countries, even limited resources have shown benefit when

correctly targeted.

For example, China has had success in reducing HIV rates among sex

workers, and injecting drug users, and in Portugal HIV diagnoses

among drug injectors fell by almost a third between 2001 and 2005

following the implementation of special prevention programmes.

However, the report warns that in many countries prevention

programmes are not reaching the people most at risk.

Dr Anders Nordström, acting director-general of the World Health

Organization, said: " It is imperative that we continue to increase

investment in both HIV prevention and treatment services to reduce

unnecessary deaths and illness from this disease. "

--- End forwarded message ---