[HIV and AIDS epidemic in Poland and Europe]

The epidemics of HIV infection spreads wider and wider. It is estimated that in 2002 about 5 million new cases were registered in the world. In the paper there were analysed information concerning cases of HIV infection and AIDS cases reported in Poland in the years 1985-2002. The epidemic situation of HIV infection and AIDS was compared with the data on the epidemics of the disease in other European countries given in the reports of the World Health Organisation. The number of newly diagnosed cases of HIV infection equaled 7880 in the studied period in Poland. Until the end of the year 2001 there were diagnosed 1153 cases of AIDS and 570 patients died of it. In comparison with other European countries the prevalence of HIV carrier state is low in the Polish population. The main group of HIV infection risk in our country are i.v. drug abusers, and among newly detected carriers the majority are men aged 20-29. Dynamic increase of HIV infected patients in the countries being neighbours of Poland that is Russia, Belarus and Ukraine as well as the rise in importance of the of heterosexual intercourses as a means of spreading of the virus may become a threat to health of the Polish population.