Millions 'underestimate' the effects of AIDS

Four out of ten people do not know that AIDS is always a fatal disease, according to a new survey.

The study, undertaken by the MAC AIDS Fund across nine countries, revealed that 42 per cent of people did not think AIDS always results in death, while many people also thought there was a cure for the disease.

At the same time, the survey discovered that 86 per cent of people believed social stigma contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS, with nearly half of respondents saying they felt uncomfortable walking next to a person with HIV.

"Today, more than 25 years after the emergence of the disease, it is startling to learn that facts about HIV/AIDS are still a guessing game for much of the world and that many are still in the dark about the undeniable reality that HIV/AIDS shockingly remains a top global killer," said Nancy Mahon, executive director of the MAC AIDS Fund.

"Social stigmas that plagued us then are still limiting progress now. Understanding the insights from this new survey, however, is what will help take us to the next level of policy, prevention and care in the fight against AIDS," she added.

The World Health Organization has indicated that there are 39.5 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS, while the disease killed an estimated 2.9 million people in 2006.

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