On World AIDS Day, Dr. Albert Camille Archange, director of Haiti General Hospital in Port-au-Prince, said the nation's HIV prevalence has declined from 6 percent in 1995 to 3.1 percent at present. The progress was made largely through HIV/AIDS education campaigns, he said. Even with the lower figure, however, Haiti still has the Western hemisphere's highest infection rate.

Dr. Josette Bijou, Haiti's public-health minister, cited several studies showing that more people in the nation of 8 million are using condoms and have adopted less-risky sexual behavior.

"We've made considerable progress as shown by the figures," said Archange. "We only have to continue to work hard to bring the HIV prevalence rate even lower."

This year, the United States has given about $40 million to help Haiti implement HIV prevention and treatment programs. According to its embassy in Port-au-Prince, the United States will spend $48 million in 2006 to support AIDS-fighting efforts launched by the Haitian government and by local and international nongovernmental groups. Haiti is one of 15 nations receiving assistance under the five-year, $15 billion U.S. President's Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief.

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