AIDS Cases Rising, U.N. Group Reports
GENEVA — The World Health Organization said Monday there were 49,677 reported cases of AIDS worldwide with 112 countries affected as of May 20.
That represented a 6.5% increase within one month from the 46,628 officially reported cases in 101 countries April 27, the U.N. agency said.
“The rise in the number of affected countries is even more significant than the increase in reported cases,” Dr. Jonathan Mann, director of WHO’s special acquired immune deficiency syndrome program, told a news conference.
Mann said he estimates the actual number of cases worldwide at around 100,000.
Africa probably has about 50,000 cases, although only 4,370 cases have been officially reported by 26 African nations, he said.
Mann praised Uganda for “its leadership (in Africa) in confronting the AIDS problem” and for establishing a program to control the disease. He said the U.N. agency would like other African countries to do the same.
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