HIV continues to increase—mainly due to the life-prolonging effects of antiretroviral therapy, the steady number of new HIV infections in North America and an increase in new HIV diagnoses in Western Europe

In these two regions, the total number of people living with HIV continues to increase, in great part due to the life-prolonging effects of antiretroviral therapy, a relatively steady number of new HIV infections each year in North America and an increase in the number of new HIV diagnoses in Western Europe since 20026. Overall, approximately 2.1 million [1.5 million–3.0 million] people were living with HIV in 2006, including the 65 000 [52 000–98 000] who acquired HIV in the past year. In the context of widespread access to effective antiretroviral treatment, comparatively few people died of AIDS—30 000 in a range of 24 000–45 000—in 2006.