The number of people living with HIV has reached its highest level ever, with approximately 39.4 million people infected all over the world, a UNAIDS / World Health Organisation (WHO) report has revealed. The highest increases in HIV infections in the last couple of years have been reported from East Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
According to the annual 'AIDS Epidemic Update', an increase in the number of infected individuals at the doorstep of the EU (in countries such as Ukraine and Russia) accounts for most of the 40 per cent increase in the Eastern European and Central Asian regions. The report claims that Russia has the worst epidemic in Europe, with 860,000 people living with HIV at the end of 2003.
Women make up nearly half of the adults affected with HIV worldwide. The exception is Sub-Saharan Africa, where 60 % of adults living with HIV are women.
HIV/AIDS has continued to spread despite a large increase in global AIDS spending from USD 2.1 billion (around 1.6 billion euro) in 2001 to 6.1 billion (around 4.7 billion euro) in 2004. "Obviously more resources will be needed in the future, but right now the key challenge is making the money work – ensuring that available funds are spent effectively on where they are needed most," said UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot in a press release.
The report was released in time for World AIDS Day, which takes place on 1 December.
