U.N. Report: 39.5 Million Now Infected With HIV/AIDS

November 26, 2006

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7005614733

U.N. Report: 39.5 Million Now Infected With HIV/AIDSNovember 24, 2006 12:23 a.m. EST

Julie Farby - All Headline News Staff Writer

New York, NY (AHN) - A joint report from the United Nations AIDS Program and the World Health Organizations shows that the worldwide total of people living with HIV/AIDS has reached 39.5 million, up 2.6 million from two years ago.

The report, titled "AIDS Epidemic Update: December 2006," also found that this year, an estimated 4.3 million people will become infected and another 2.9 million will die as a result of the disease.

Despite the bleak prognosis, the UN report on HIV/AIDS did show some improvement in certain areas. For example, HIV rates among young urban adults have dropped in seven African countries that are finally reaping the benefit of AIDS prevention and treatment.

However, there were still some new and disturbing trends in the spread of the deadly virus. Eastern Europe and the Central Asia both saw substantial increases in HIV infections, with a nearly 70 percent increase over the past two years. The report also shows that the epidemic is spreading fast in Ukraine, especially among intravenous drug users whose annual HIV diagnosis doubled since 2000.