aids

Romanian youths are insufficiently informed regarding HIV transmission, as almost a quarter believe the infection is acquired through mosquito bites, 19% through kissing and 8.7% by shaking hands with an infected person, says a report by the Romanian Association for Health Promotion (ARPS).

A new medicine against AIDS is available in Romania and is recommended to patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which became resistant to other treatments, Sorin Petrea, director of medical development at infectious disease institute Matei Bals, said Friday.

The Romanian Government significantly cut the income threshold for the heating bill subsidy this winter at 425 lei (EUR1=RON4.2840) per family member, compared with RON615 in the previous years.

The Red Cross organized Tuesday in Universitatii Square in central Bucharest several actions to mark World AIDS Day, with the main message that the illness is not caught at work or at school and those who carry it must not be discriminated.

Some 4.4 million families in Romania benefited from 800 million lei (EUR1-RON3.6548) worth of heating power aids between December 2007 and February 2008, minister of Economy and Finance Varujan Vosganian said Thursday.