National and international efforts are not keeping pace with the spread of the global AIDS epidemic. At the end of 2006, an estimated 39.5 million people have HIV/AIDS, and that number continues to grow, according to the latest UNAIDS/WHO report.
Although several countries are making progress in reducing the number of new HIV infections, recent trends in AIDS data show a resurgence of HIV/AIDS in several regions. The report states that more focused and sustained prevention programs are needed, especially those that target specific groups, such as high-risk individuals and youth.
AIDS Continues to Impede Development
According to the AIDS Epidemic Update, released last week by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO), there were an estimated 4.3 million new cases of HIV and 2.9 million deaths due to AIDS this past year. Data in the report show increasing rates of infection in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, as well as continued severe impacts on sub-Saharan Africa, which, as a region, accounts for almost two-thirds (2.8 million) of new HIV cases, and three-quarters of all deaths due to AIDS.
"In sub-Saharan Africa, the worst affected region, life expectancy at birth is now just 47 years, which is 30 years less than most high-income countries." -- WHO Acting Director-General, Dr. Anders Nordström
The report also discusses the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls, who are more likely to become infected and also more likely to care for AIDS patients.
A Need for Improved Prevention Programs
The latest figures highlight the need for adaptable and sustained prevention and care programs. Prevention programs, targeted at particularly high-risk individuals, including sex workers and drug users have shown success in places such as China and Portugal, despite limited resources.
In addition, HIV prevalence in young people has also declined in the past five years in several sub-Saharan African nations--Botswana, Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe--likely a result of observed positive trends, including increased condom use, an older starting age for sexual activity, and fewer partners.
The report emphasizes that implementing appropriate initiatives--those that take into consideration the nuances of different high-risk groups--and general capacity building of prevention programs are critical to fighting the worldwide spread of HIV/AIDS.
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