The AIDS epidemic has killed over 20 million people worldwide, including more than 3 million in 2002 alone, and an estimated 5 million people acquired HIV in 2002, bringing to 42 million the number of people globally living with the virus. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has displayed great regional variation since its inception, and it continues to do so. UNAIDS/WHO have estimated that, by the end of 2002, the HIV prevalence rate among adults was 0.1% in east Asia, the Pacific and in Australia and New Zealand, 0.3% in north Africa, the middle east and western Europe, 0.6% in south and south-east Asia, Latin America, eastern Europe, central Asia, and north America; 2.4% in the Caribbean; and 8.8% in sub-Saharan Africa.
In Asia and the Pacific, 7.2 million people were estimated to be living with HIV by end of 2002. Whereas the growth of the epidemic in this region is largely attributable to the growing epidemic in China, several other countries in the region have growing epidemics. In eastern Europe and central Asia, the number of people living with HIV at the end of 2002 stood at 1.2 million. HIV/AIDS is believed to be expanding rapidly in the Baltic states, the Russian Federation and several central Asian republics. Sub-Saharan Africa is the region where the HIV epidemic started first, and it has been the worst affected by the epidemic. By the end of 2002, an estimated 29.4 million people were living with HIV/AIDS, and 3.5 million had been newly infected during 2002. Although the epidemic has stabilized in sub-Saharan Africa as a whole, several countries in southern and central Africa continue to witness increasing prevalence levels.
In Asia and the Pacific, 7.2 million people were estimated to be living with HIV by end of 2002. Whereas the growth of the epidemic in this region is largely attributable to the growing epidemic in China, several other countries in the region have growing epidemics. In eastern Europe and central Asia, the number of people living with HIV at the end of 2002 stood at 1.2 million. HIV/AIDS is believed to be expanding rapidly in the Baltic states, the Russian Federation and several central Asian republics. Sub-Saharan Africa is the region where the HIV epidemic started first, and it has been the worst affected by the epidemic. By the end of 2002, an estimated 29.4 million people were living with HIV/AIDS, and 3.5 million had been newly infected during 2002. Although the epidemic has stabilized in sub-Saharan Africa as a whole, several countries in southern and central Africa continue to witness increasing prevalence levels.
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