The latest figures from UNAIDS and the World Health Organization were used to develop the following summaries of HIV/AIDS surveillance in each region of the world.

• Sub-Saharan Africa -- 25.8 million HIV cases, or 64 percent of the global total; 3.2 million new HIV infections; 2.4 million AIDS deaths. While adult HIV prevalence has apparently fallen in Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe, the epidemic has yet to peak in several other nations. Women are disproportionately affected.
• Asia -- 8.3 million HIV cases, or 20.6 percent of the global total; 1.1 million new HIV infections; 521,000 AIDS deaths. Combinations of risky sexual and drug-use behaviors are fueling the epidemic; authorities worry that current prevention strategies may not take this into account.
• High-income countries -- 1.9 million HIV cases, or 4.7 percent of the global total; 65,000 new HIV infections; 30,000 AIDS deaths. In North American and Western Europe, the wide availability of antiretroviral therapy is keeping the number of AIDS deaths comparatively low even as HIV infections increase. Sex between men and, to a lesser extent, drug injection remain major transmission routes, but unprotected heterosexual intercourse is playing a bigger role.
• Latin America -- 1.8 million HIV cases, or 4.5 percent of the global total; 200,000 new HIV infections; 66,000 AIDS deaths. The smaller countries of Belize, Guatemala and Honduras have the region's highest HIV prevalence. Brazil is home to more than one-third of HIV-positive Latin Americans. Major transmission routes are unprotected homosexual and heterosexual sex and drug injection.
• Eastern Europe & Central Asia -- 1.6 million HIV cases, or 4 percent of the global total; 270,000 new HIV infections; 62,000 AIDS deaths. The infected population is largely young, with a growing number of women being infected by male drug injectors. The region's epidemic has expanded almost 20-fold in less than a decade.
• Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands -- 74,000 HIV cases, or 1.8 percent of the global total; 8,200 new HIV infections; 3,600 AIDS deaths. Sex between men remains the major transmission route, but heterosexual infections are on the rise. After declining in 1995-2000 in Australia, infections are rising again.
• North Africa, Middle East -- 510,000 HIV cases, or 1.2 percent of the global total; 67,000 new cases; 58,000 AIDS deaths. Though surveillance data are scanty, infections appear to be increasing in Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Somalia. Drug injection is the main transmission route in Libya and Iran.
• Caribbean -- 300,000 HIV cases, or 0.7 percent of the global total; 30,000 new HIV infections; 24,000 AIDS deaths. Prevalence ranges from 3 percent in Haiti to 0.2 percent in Cuba. Heterosexual intercourse, particularly with sex workers, is largely driving the epidemic.

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