25 million Aids orphans within eight years say experts

In another grim report on the evolution of the global Aids pandemic, experts estimated today that the number of children in the developing world orphaned by the disease will increase from 13.4 million today to 25 million in the next eight years.

Several statistics recently published have shown that the global epidemic has just begun, but Dr Peter Piot, executive director of the UN Aids agency, said the orphans report was one of the most shocking to be presented at the week long International Aids Conference in Barcelona.