UNAIDS says 1.7 mln new HIV infections recorded in 2018
GENEVA. KAZINFORM About 1.7 mln new HIV infections were recorded globally in 2018, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) said in a report published in Geneva on Tuesday, TASS reports.
Accordingto the report, 37.9 mln people around the world live with HIV.
«Theannual number of deaths from AIDS-related illness among people living with HIV(all ages) globally has fallen from a peak of 1.7 million… in 2004 to 770,000…in 2018,» the report says, adding that «since 2010, AIDS-relatedmortality has declined by 33%.» «Reaching the 2020 milestone of fewerthan 500,000 deaths will require further declines of about 135,000 peryear,» UNAIDS pointed out.
«Therehave been impressive gains in eastern and southern Africa, home to 54% of theworld’s people living with HIV. AIDS-related mortality in the region declinedby 44% from 2010 to 2018, and annual new HIV infections declined by 28% duringthe same period,» the document noted. «By contrast, AIDS-relateddeaths in the eastern Europe and central Asia and Middle East and North Africaregions have risen by 5% and 9%, respectively, over the eight-year period, andthe annual number of HIV infections has increased in three regions: easternEurope and central Asia (29% increase), Middle East and North Africa (10%increase) and Latin America (7% increase),» UNAIDS said.
Accordingto UNAIDS, in 2018, «investment in the HIV responses of low-andmiddle-income countries decreased by $900 million (to $19 billion).»
«Ifthe world is to be on track to end AIDS by 2030, there must be adequate andpredictable financing for development,» said Gunilla Carlsson, the UNAIDSExecutive Director, a.i.