New estimates produced from improved data collection methods give better understanding of AIDS epidemic in India

UNAIDS wishes to correct multiple mischaracterizations that appear in a book published by Radcliffe Publishing, entitled The AIDS Pandemic: the collision of epidemiology with political correctness by James Chin. These errors deal with the process and results of the estimations of the AIDS pandemic, made with technical assistance from the UNAIDS Secretariat and WHO.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) welcomes the release of the latest antenatal clinic survey by South Africa’s Department of Health. South Africa has produced one of the world’s most comprehensive antenatal clinic surveys. In 2006 over 33 000 pregnant women participating in government antenatal clinics were surveyed, compared to over 16 500 women in 2005.

UNAIDS responds to the report

The global AIDS epidemic continues to

New report cites positive trends in

A comprehensive review of epidemiological and behavioural data released today by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) concludes that HIV prevalence has fallen in Zimbabwe over the past five years, and that HIV incidence has also declined.

The figure of 5.134 million people living with HIV in 2004 has been produced by a methodology and statistical calculation based on serological tests performed in sentinel sites all over India.

There is new evidence that adult HIV infection rates have decreased in certain countries and that changes in behaviour to prevent infection—such as increased use of condoms, delay of first sexual experience and fewer sexual partners—have played a key part in these declines. The new UN report also indicates, however, that overall trends in HIV transmission are still increasing, and that far greater HIV prevention efforts are needed to slow the epidemic.

A review of epidemiological and behavioural data commissioned by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and other international partners has found preliminary indications of declining trends in HIV prevalence and incidence in Zimbabwe over the last five years.