World Aids Day
• The overwhelming majority of people with HIV – some 95 per cent of the global total – live in the developing world. That proportion is set to grow even further as infection rates continue to rise in countries where poverty, conflict, poor health systems and limited resources for prevention and care fuel the spread of the virus.
• Half of new infections are occurring in young people (15-24 year olds), who constitute over one-quarter of those living with HIV and AIDS worldwide. Young girls are particularly at risk, with 75% of young people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa being women. There are an estimated 15 million children worldwide who have lost one or both parents to AIDS.