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| Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) speaks at a news conference for the upcoming international AIDS conference in the International Center in Vienna, Austria, on Wednesday, March 10, 2010. (Xinhua) |
VIENNA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Executive Director of the joint United Nations Program on HIV / AIDS (UNAIDS) Michel Sidib said Wednesday in Vienna that the current global AIDS epidemic is still very severe and the international community should pay sufficient attention on AIDS prevention and control.
In his speech at a news conference at the United Nations Center, Sidib said everyday there are 7,000 people being infected with HIV in the world, of which 1,500 are in the southern African region.
Due to lack of effective treatment for pregnant women, about 400,000 babies are born with HIV each year, he said.
According to him, the global annual funding needed to fight against AIDS has exceeded 16 billion U.S. dollars.
About 4.7 million AIDS patients across the world are receiving treatment. Although this figure is already 10 times as much as five years ago, there are still 11 million HIV-infected people who are not properly treated.
