Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - Italy’s 18th National Anlaids Meeting will be held in Milan 28-30 November in view of World AIDS Day. Anlaids is the National Association for the Fight against AIDS.
According to Italian infectologists, every year in Italy four thousand people are infected by the HIV virus, a new case every 2 hours and one out of every two persons infected does not realise it.
According to the COA (Operative AIDS Centre) of the Superior Institute for Heath Care, since 1982, when AIDS was first diagnosed in Italy, there have been altogether 53,686 confirmed cases: 77.7% (41.056) men, 1.4% (741) children under 13 and 6% (3.179) non Italians. Since the epidemic started on 30 June 2004 some 34,179 patients died (64%). The number of HIV + persons in Italy is estimated around 110-130,000.
In the first six months of 2004, no less than 847 new cases of AIDS were registered: 498 in the last six months, others were diagnosed in previous six month periods. The 498 cases diagnosed 1 January to 30 June 2004, are spread over Italy as follows:136 in Lombardy; 69 in Lazio; 54 in Emilia Romagna; 44 in Tuscany; 29 in Piedmonte; 26 in Veneto; 25 in Liguria; 22 in Puglia; 20 in the Marches; 19 in Sicily; 11 in Campania; 10 in Sardegna; 7 in Abruzzo; 5 the autonomous province of Bolzano; 4 in Friuli Venezia Giulia; 3 in the autonomous province of Trent; 2 in Calabria; 1 in Basilicata; 1 in Molise. Umbria and Valle d'Aosta are the only two regions where no new cases of AIDS were registered in the first six months of 2004. Three are non Italians and 7 are people whose origin is unknown.
Now the epidemic affects people in general, no longer special groups as in the past (as in the USA the early years) or drugs addicts (as in Europe). (AP) (28/11/2004 Agenzia Fides; Righe:28; Parole:348)
