HIV infection is at its peak

Two-thirds of Asians with AIDS are in India (Photo: BBC) The report provides an estimated estimate that is the most comprehensive to date of different countries being affected by the disease. AIDS like.

Although the rate of infection is decreasing due to population growth and many infected people live longer thanks to new drugs, the actual number of infected people is the highest ever.

The report was published just before an important conference at the UN, where world leaders will have to say what they will do to finance their commitments to AIDS.

For a quarter of a century since the first known cases of AIDS in the United States, 25 million people have died of the disease and today almost 40 million people worldwide are infected with HIV, half of these are women.

Mr. Peter Piot, head of UNAIDS (Photo: postimees) This UNAIDS report shows that the sub-Saharan region remains the most heavily affected area in the world.

The most affected country is the small Swaziland, where a third of adults are infected with HIV. However, Kenya and Zimbabwe are reported to have decreased HIV infection numbers here. South Africa is still the country with the highest number of HIV infected people in the region. 5.5 million adults carry HIV.

In Asia, AIDS is spreading in India, largely due to sexual intercourse where men and women do not take measures to prevent infection. Cambodia and Thailand have reduced infection rates but UNAIDS said Vietnam, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea are worrisome points.

Drug use is the cause of increased AIDS in Russia and Ukraine.

How to prevent the spread of HIV is a problem faced by world leaders. They will go to the UN to attend a conference starting today.

Mr. Peter Piot, head of UNAIDS, said there is no easy solution for countries like South Africa because this is a very complicated issue.

According to Piot, it shows that some activities such as launching a series of condoms to people or setting up signs with the words "Deadly AIDS" will not be enough, but there is a need for a replacement. fundamentally change cultural and environmental values ​​in society.

Half of the 126 countries surveyed for the UNAIDS report show that there are policies that make it hard to prevent HIV infection, as according to these policies, homosexuality is illegal. do not allow prisoners to use condoms or use clean needles when injecting drugs.

When politicians will make their official statements on Friday, they will have to find words that all countries can agree to sign.