Kazakhstan Reports Large Rise In HIV Cases In 2005

A memorial at the 2004 World AIDS Day in Sofia, Bulgaria (epa)

16 February 2006 -- Figures released today by the Kazakh authorities indicate that the number of new cases of HIV increased substantially in 2005.

In all, officials reported 960 new cases of the infection, up from 700 in 2004.

The number of registered HIV cases in the country is now some 5,440 people, including 313 with full-blown AIDS.

HIV/AIDS infection rates in Central Asia have been rising dramatically in recent years. Last year saw four Central Asian states -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan -- launch a $27 million cross-regional project to combat the problem.

(Interfax)