Cuba dedicates World AIDS Day to the work of voluntary promoters, a movement created since the fight against AIDS started.

These people dedicate part of their time to work for free in projects to prevent AIDS, said Gloria Pausada, a specialist of the AIDS Prevention Program.

She said that at the beginning, only a small group of patients were involved but now thousands of students, workers, and homemakers are volunteers.

All activities of the national programs will be reinforced on December 1.

She said they will inform, educate, communicate, prevent and sensibilize parents, teachers, artists, public health personnel and others.

Up to now, 9,039 people have been diagnosed with AIDS, and 81 percent are male, said Doctor Barbara Venegas, Director of the Prevention Program.

She said that 53 percent of all the cases live in Havana, where the disease is concentrated in males who have sex with other men, and the groups with most affection are the ones from 20 to 24, and 35 to 38 years old, but the number of cases increased in in all ages last year.

Anti-retroviral therapy is at the reach of everyone for free, but there are still problems with the adaptation to it.

(PL)