Rise in AIDS rates recorded

ANGOLA: Rise in AIDS rates recorded

JOHANNESBURG, 7 Oct 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - Results from a study on HIV prevalence, which is underway in Angola, will be released at the end of December, the Ministry of Health has announced.

Although rates are currently estimated between five and seven percent - well below other countries in the region - Health Minister Albertina Hamukwaya said a sharp rise in the number of HIV-positive people had been recorded.

According to the Portuguese television station, RTP Africa, the Health Minister said "the situation was worrying".

After 27 years of civil war, the focus on HIV/AIDS is relatively new in Angola and the impact of the pandemic has not yet been fully calculated.

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