Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - In 2004 the number of cases of AIDS registered was 39.4 million (37.2 adults and 2.2 million children under 15) and 17.6 million of the adults infected were women.
In Sub-Saharan Africa the total number of infected adults and children is 25.4 million; in North Africa and the Middle East 540,000; in America Latin 1.7 million; Caribbean: 440,000; North America 1 million; Western Europe 610,000; Eastern Europe and Central Asia 1.4 million; East Asia 1.1 million; South and South East Asia 7.1 million; Oceania: 35,000.
The total number of new cases of HIV+ in the world were 4.9 million, (4.3 million adults and 640,000 children). In Sub-Saharan Africa the total of adults and children was 3.1 million; in North Africa and the Middle East 92,000; Latin America 240,000; Caribbean 53,000; North America 44,000; Western Europe 21,000; Eastern Europe and Central Asia 210,000; East Asia: 290,000; South and South East Asia 890,000; Oceania 5,000.
The number of people who died in 2004 in the world was 3.1 million, (2.6 million adults and 510,000 children). By region as follows: Sub-Saharan Africa the total of adults and children 2.3 million; in North Africa and the Middle East 28,000; Latin America 95,000; Caribbean 36,000; North America 16,000; Western Europe 6,500; Eastern Europe and Central Asia 60,000; East Asia: 51,000; South and South East Asia 490,000; Oceania 700.
Women were almost half of the 37.2 million HIV+ adults aged 15 to 49.
Since the virus was identified in 1981, almost 23 million people have died of AIDS.
Women were almost half of the 37.2 million HIV+ adults aged 15 to 49. The highest rate of diffusion was registered in East Asia (56%) due mainly to growing epidemics in China, in Indonesia and Vietnam, and in Eastern Europe (48%) in particular in Ukraine and Russia. Russia has 860,000 HIV virus carriers and is the European country most affected.
In Sub-Saharan Africa about 60% (13.3 million) adults who live with HIV are women. In Africa, 76% of young people aged 15-24 living with the virus are girls.
The situation is serious everywhere not only in Africa but also in countries traditionally considered “poor” like Peru where in Lima the capital has 70% of the nation’s AIDS patients: 16,00 confirmed cases and 75,000 HIV+ cases. Another country with a tragic situation is Swaziland ( population 986,000) with 38.6% of pregnant mothers HIV+ and 47% of adults aged 20 to 39. At the end of 2004 there will be 69,000 AIDS orphans.
The situation in European Union countries, fewer cases in 2003 but 50% in Italy and Spain
The spread of AIDS in Europe shows on the one hand a decrease in new cases: in 2003 new cases were 6,441 or 24% less than 2002, and 50% circa of the cases were registered in Italy and Spain. On the other hand a recrudescence in the number of new HIV+ cases is reported: 7,641 cases in 1996 but 13,257 2003, or 75% higher.
The European statistic service Eurostat underlines a concerning increase of women infected by the virus (a little more than 40%). Europe seems to have forgotten women in the fight against AIDS: in 2003, an average of 69.5% of the new cases of AIDS were registered among European women. In 1995 the percentage was 43.8.
In Italy last year the percentage was 68,4%, which is 80% higher than France, Sweden and Denmark, and 90% higher than the United Kingdom and Belgium. For Greece the figure is 100%.
The picture with regard to transmission in the EU is not reassuring although the disease spreads less. In 2003 in Europe an estimated 14.2 cases per every million people were registered (56.3 in 1994) but situations in the different countries vary enormously. Portugal is in the lead with 78.6 per million; Slovakia is last with 0.4%. Italy in 2003 was in 3rd place after Spain, with 30.6 cases of AIDS per million (96.3 in 1994).
No less than 41.8% of new cases are caused by heterosexual contact; 30.7% by drug abuse; almost 20% homosexual relations
Here are the EU countries where more than 10% of every million people have HIV/AIDS.
COUNTRIES 1994
- PORTUGALL 68.1
- SPAIN 188.4
- ITALY 96.3
- LATVIA 0.8
- LUXEMBURG 32.5
- UNITED KINGDOM 31.8
- FRANCE 100.1
- EU 56.3
COUNTRIES 2000
- PORTUGALL 78.6
- SPAIN 32.8
- ITALY 30.6
- LATVIA 25.0
- LUXEMBURG 17.8
- UNITED KINGDOM 14.1
- FRANCE 11.5
- EU 14.2
(AP) (30/11/2004 Agenzia Fides Righe: 74; Parole: 831)
