Noting that over 11,000 people worldwide contracted AIDS every day, Golem said that Croatia was still among the low-risk countries -- from 1985, when the disease was first registered, until 2005, 553 persons contracted AIDS (445 men and 108 women).
Dr Josip Begovac of the Zagreb Clinic for Infectious Diseases stressed the importance of prevention programmes, saying that conditions in Croatia were such as could contribute to the spread of the disease, citing drugs, tourism and economic transition.
Begovac said that there was a shortage of some of the latest AIDS medicines on the Croatian market, blaming it on the lack of interest on the part of pharmaceutical firms. He expressed hope that some of the medicines would be registered in Croatia next year.
Since December 1, 2003 the United Nations has provided USD4.9 million through the Global Fund for AIDS prevention programmes in Croatia.