UN voices concerns that HIV infections are on the rise in Egypt
We need to be paying attention to this: UN officials are voicing alarm over the spread of HIV in Egypt, with new infection rates growing by up to 40% a year, according to some figures. "There is a 25-30% increase in incidents every year… It’s is alarming to us because the growth of the epidemic and the discontinuation of interest from donors in funding," Ahmed Khamis, of the UN AIDS agency, told The Associated Press. "Most recently, we’ve been seeing people of a much younger age group infected with the virus. There is a higher risk now for adolescents and youths than in the past," Khamis added. UNAIDS says there are over 11,000 cases, while the Health Ministry estimates the figure to be around 7,000. While he admitted that data is hard to come by and that his observations come from on the ground work, rising infections are not in dispute.