AP
The Joint
United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS reported on Tuesday that the
AIDS epidemic has exploded in Russia and Eastern Europe and will
continue to worsen in sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr. Peter
Piot, the executive director of UNAIDS, said, "The AIDS situation
in Africa is catastrophic. One of the greatest causes for concern
is that over the next few years, the epidemic is bound to get
worse before it gets better."
At least 3.8
million people in sub-Saharan Africa became infected with HIV
this year. Researchers cautioned in the study that the epidemic
was also causing African economies to collapse.
The number
of new cases of HIV in Eastern Europe rose dramatically from 420,000
a year ago to 700,000. Piot said, "Most of these new infections
are among injecting drug users," adding that tumultuous political
and economic conditions had given rise to increased commercial
sex and intravenous drug use.
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