A powerful new alliance of international organizations, local governments and the United Nations are joining forces on World AIDS Day, 1 December 2005, to encourage citizens worldwide to fight AIDS. A chain of simultaneous events in cities around the world will link these activities, ranging from media briefings to school and community initiatives.

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 rapid and substantial boost in national, regional and international support for the Latin America and Caribbean region on AIDS is essential to enable the region to get ahead of its diverse epidemics,” said the Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) today.

The Pacific region needs a comprehensive multi-sectored response to AIDS, backed by political leadership, if it is to effectively address the growing threat of a serious HIV epidemic, Asia Pacific Regional Director for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Dr. Prasada Rao said at the Pan Pacific Regional HIV/AIDS Conference which opened in Auckland, New Zealand on Tuesday 25 October.

UNICEF, UNAIDS and other partners today launched a global campaign focusing on the enormous impact of HIV/AIDS on children, saying it was a disgrace that fewer than 5 per cent of HIV-positive children receive treatment and that millions of children who have lost parents to the disease go without support.

The threat of HIV and AIDS in New Zealand and neighbouring Pacific regions is bigger than ever before say Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the New Zealand AIDS Foundation on the eve of New Zealand’s first large-scale international conference on HIV and AIDS.

A ministerial level meeting is set to review the current status of HIV vaccine research and development, as well as a range of challenges concerning Africa's active participation and contribution to this area, in collaboration with various stakeholders and partners.