Glimmers of hope, but AIDS pandemic is still worsening

Driven by intravenous drug use, it is spreading fast in parts of Eastern Europe.

And China and India, where ignorance of the virus is rampant, are feared to be on the brink of explosive HIV growth.

Even in rich countries, there is a worrying rise among young heterosexuals and gays, for whom the safe-sex message, in the reassuring era of antiretrovirals, is absent or has little impact.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria last week put out the begging bowl for US$3.3 billion to help meet needs of US$7.1 billion in 2006 and 2007.

And this is just a fraction of what is needed. Globally, resource needs are put at US$15 billion next year, US$18 billion in 2007 and US$22 billion in 2008.

"The AIDS pandemic is getting worse," said Genevieve Clark of the British AIDS charity The Terrence Higgins Trust.

"But there are pockets of good news, little glimmers of hope. The task is to learn from what works, and apply these lessons globally."