“HIV/AIDS is a growing challenge for the entire continent of Europe, from Dublin to Moscow,” Kalman Mizsei, Regional Director for Europe and the CIS of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), warned European leaders gathered here to discuss a regional response to the epidemic.

AIDS is rapidly spreading in Eastern Europe and is on the rise again in Western Europe because integrated prevention and treatment programmes have not been sustained or do not exist. Countries in Eastern Europe, home to the fastest growing epidemic in the world, will soon be on Europe’s borders following the European Union’s enlargement on 1 May 2004. The Baltic States, which will soon be part of the EU, are also experiencing a rapid rise in HIV infections.

Grande Rio, a samba school in Rio de Janeiro, has composed a song entitled,

The escalating global struggle against AIDS cannot afford to neglect women, and special efforts will be needed to ensure it is not allowed to. To that end, UNAIDS has pulled together a high profile group of men and women -- the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS -- which gathers activists, government representatives, celebrities, and community workers who are committed to improving the lives of women and girls.

In a partnership among soccer stars, soccer officials and a UN agency, organizers of the African Cup of Nations tournament plan to use the high-profile games in Tunisia from 24 January to 14 February to promote a growing “Africa 2015” campaign against poverty and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) welcomes the agreement struck by the Clinton Foundation to significantly reduce the price of HIV/AIDS laboratory tests in Africa and the Caribbean, the regions worst-hit by the epidemic. A number of diagnostic companies, including, Bayer, Beckman Coulter, Inc., BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), bioMérieux and Roche Diagnostics, have cut the costs of their tests by up to 80%, enabling more HIV- positive people to access life-prolonging treatment and care.

The Kenyan survey found a lower HIV prevalence among Kenyans – 6.7% compared to 9.4% estimated by UNAIDS and WHO for 2003. However, when broken down by gender, the survey found an HIV prevalence of 8.7% among women, which is in the same range as the 9.4% prevalence estimated by UNAIDS and WHO. However, it also found an HIV prevalence of 4.5% among men, significantly lower than expected.

As part of the ongoing mobilisation of civil society in the fight against HIV/AIDS, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today met with leaders of some of the world’s leading media organizations to launch a Global Media AIDS Initiative. The Initiative aims to activate media organizations to reach the world’s people – especially youth - with information about how to prevent and treat HIV and to help combat AIDS-related stigma and discrimination.

Today, on Human Rights Day, three UN agencies are launching a colourful, interactive cartoon booklet called “HIV/AIDS Stand Up for Human Rights”. The cartoon is part of a global campaign to tackle HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination and other human rights violations.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS today release a detailed and concrete plan to reach the 3 by 5 target of providing antiretroviral treatment to three million people living with AIDS in developing countries and those in transition by the end of 2005. This is a vital step towards the ultimate goal of providing universal access to AIDS treatment to all those who need it.