"HIV is spreading rapidly throughout the entire Eastern Europe region at a quarter of a million new cases only this year," Dr. Peter Piot, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS said.

Also, low reported national prevalence rates can be misleading according to Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director General of WHO. "Rates may be exceedingly high in certain sub-populations. In many countries, we have to take these figures as warning signs of an impending epidemic, not as excuses for complacency," Dr. Brundtland said.

According to the report, the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases in high-income countries is due increases in unsafe sex. Poorer communities and young adults belonging to ethnic minorities face greater risks today than they did five years ago.

"While unsafe sex and injecting drug use continue to fuel this broadening epidemic, it is at the same time shifting to more disadvantaged communities," Dr. Piot said. "It is imperative that these communities get the resources and support needed to take up the prevention message."

The report also calls on countries to put in place effective prevention programs, specifically directed at young people, among which HIV seems to be spreading the most rapidly.