More than 30 million people worldwide are currently living with the AIDS virus; One in every 100 sexually active adults between the ages of 15 and 49 is infected with HIV but only one-in-ten know they are infected; and The epidemic has struck young people, under the age of 25, the hardest; and Worldwide, 2.3 million people died of AIDS in 1997, a 50 percent increase over 1996. Nearly half of those deaths were women and 460,000 where children under the age of 15.

Marylou Belvin of the Allan Vincent Smith Foundation said that Bermuda echoed the shocking world statistics.

"We mirror the US and Canada, although our numbers may not be as high,'' Mrs.

Belvin said. "If you take our number and compare them with the US or Canada, you'll see that we mirror them.

"Anything that happens on the East Coast of the US happens here,'' she added.

Mrs. Belvin said the foundation was concentrating on raising young people's awareness.

And she said that they recently discovered that there was still a lot of work for the foundation to do after an awareness study showed that the level of local knowledge on the issue was not that high.

"We even had nurses who gave incorrect answers on AIDS,'' she revealed.

"Young people knew about the disease but they do not accept that it could happen to them. They still think of it as a gay disease.

"There are a lot of intelligent people out there, but they are just not exercising common sense.'' Mrs. Belvin also said the foundation was also focusing their efforts on the corporate world.

"We are trying to deal with the long-term disabilities for AIDS patients and get companies to set policies in case a worker develops AIDS,'' she explained.

"They should treat an employee who has AIDS as they would treat anyone who has a disease like diabetes or cancer.'' Mrs. Belvin said very few companies in Bermuda had a policy in place to deal with an AIDS-stricken employee.

"Unless a staff member tells them they have it, they don't want to worry about it,'' she said. "We are trying to get them ready for it. We would like to see every company in Bermuda have a policy.'' In the House of Assembly on Friday, Health and Social Services Minister Clarence Terceira released the latest local statistics on AIDS.

Since 1985, the total number of Bermudians with AIDS reached the 400 mark. Of those, 318 had succumbed to the disease.

Since January of this year, 21 new cases were reported to health officials.

The majority of the new cases were black men. (See table above).

Despite the numbers, the Chief Medical Officer John Cann told The Royal Gazette that some progress was being made in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

"I'm a firm believer that young people have to play a key role in helping to educate their peers,'' Dr. Cann said. "And I believe that we will be more affective in eliminating AIDS, drugs and other behaviour related conditions by providing people with the tools to think through a problem and to make a decision.'' Dr. Cann said the school health programme will play a key role in the long term fight against the disease.

"I don't think we effectively change people's behaviour by scaring them, I think we have to educate and motivate them to make some change.'' Dr. Cann admitted that the latest statistics from the United Nations were "startling'', but he insisted that Bermuda was "no where near those sorts of conditions''.

He admitted there was a high rate of AIDS on the Island but he emphasised that there were few local children with inflicted with the disease.

"With regards to paediatric AIDS, we don't have the same situation that pertains to many parts of the world,'' he said. "I think this is partly due to that we instituted very early screening of all pregnant women and that we have taken steps that any woman who is positive is appropriately treated during her pregnancy. And I think the message has gotten across to some segments of the community.'' Dr. Cann refuted Ms DeShield's claim that there were many locals who were HIV positive but have come forward.

"I do not believe that we have this large, large reservoir of people out there who are positive and don't know,'' he said. "I think most people who are at risk know they are at risk. I think people may choose not to be tested but that does not mean that you don't modify your behaviour and stop putting others at risk.'' Dr. Cann encouraged locals to get tested for HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- either through their doctor or anonymously.

Dr. Cann also noted that HIV was not an immediate death sentence and said those with the virus, with treatment, could enjoy a good quality of life and possible a longer one.

"It is to any individual's benefit who thinks they may be positive to get tested and get under a good medical regimen,'' he said.

Ruth Skinner of the Lighthouse, a residence for those living with AIDS, echoed Dr. Cann's stance and said the Lighthouse had living proof that people could live full lives -- even with the disease.

"We find that the new drugs are working really well for our clients,'' Ms Skinner said. "As long as they stick to the rules and eating habits, they are just fine. The people here are doing really well.'' Although attitudes towards the disease had improved, Ms Skinner admitted that there was still a stigma attached to AIDS.

"There is always going to be a stigma but it is not as bad as in the 1980s,'' she said. "There are still some people out there who are uneducated.'' Regarding the recent reports that the incidents of AIDS worldwide has increased, Ms Skinner said that this may be due to the fact that the disease lays dormant for many years and is now just coming to light in many people.

AIDS: THE FACTS YEAR TO DATE (January 1-October 31, 1997 Total new cases 21 How they became infected: Intravenous drug use 9 Homosexual activity 2 Bisexual activity 2 Heterosexual activity 7 Other 1 Total number of deaths 14 CUMULATIVE (1985-1997) Total number of cases 400 Total number of deaths 318 Source: Department of Health