Supporting community action on AIDS in developing countries

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Revised HIV data shows need to invest in hardest hit communities

The International HIV/AIDS Alliance has welcomed the news that fewer people around the world are estimated to be living with HIV than previously thought. This follows the release of better epidemiological data from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), which has given a more accurate understanding of the global HIV epidemic.

Alliance executive director Alvaro Bermejo said:

“The new figures released from UNAIDS and WHO estimate that millions fewer people than previously thought are living with HIV around the world, and that significantly fewer people became newly infected in 2007. This is very good news. However, we must also recognise that these reductions are based in large part on revised methods of data collection.

Unfortunately, the revised statistics still show that AIDS remains one of the world’s leading causes of death, with over 6,800 new HIV infections and over 5,700 deaths every day.

Read more here....

http://www.aidsalliance.org/sw51334.asp