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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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