World AIDS day 2007

The theme on a global level for the World AIDS Day 2007 focuses on leadership – this is also the theme for the World AIDS Campaign.

At the European level Commissioner Markos Kyprianou has invited European Health Ministers to join him in a pan-European effort to spread common messages on prevention and increasing the awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS among young Europeans. He invited ministers to visit schools schools in their countries in the period around World AIDS Day. The Commissioner himself is visiting a school in Cyprus on November, 30, where he presents the new EC produced TV-spot promoting the use of condoms and safer sex and have a discussion with students on HIV/AIDS.

The first World AIDS Day was declared in 1 December 1988 by the World Health Organisation. Since that it has been one of the world's most successful commemorative days and is now celebrated around the world. During this day the progress made in combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic is celebrated and at the same time the challenges ahead can be brought into the focus.

According the recent UNAIDS estimates about 33 million people are living with HIV globally. Estimated 2.5 million new infections occurred in 2007. For the 23 EU countries with data available the number of newly reported HIV infections by the end of 2005 amounts to 23 600 cases. In the EU HIV infections through heterosexual sex and among homo-and bisexual men is increasing. In the neighbouring countries the number of newly reported cases is still increasing, in particular in Ukraine. The Russian Federation has, however, the largest epidemic in Europe with almost 1 million people living with HIV/AIDS. In neighbouring countries injecting drug use is still the main source of transmission but as most of the infected are young and sexually active the proposal of infections through heterosexual contacts is steadily increasing.