As countries across the globe marked the 15th annual World AIDS Day yesterday, Bermuda had both reasons for concern and celebration in considering the deadly virus's local effects.

Recent statistics suggest that the number of new HIV/AIDS cases on the Island continues to decline, but Bermuda also has a long way to go toward eliminating the stigma and discrimination suffered by those living with HIV/AIDS.

"While Bermuda too has its challenges with AIDS, progress continues to be made," Health Minister Nelson Bascome said on Friday.

"We can celebrate the success of our long-standing efforts to identify and provide effective treatments to persons living with AIDS.

"We can also celebrate our preventative initiatives. For these successes we must commend the dedicated and capable staff of the Department of Health, and the directors, members and supporters of community-based groups such as STAR, the Allen Vincent Smith Foundation and the Lighthouse."

But discrimination against those living with HIV/AIDS is still far too rampant, Mr. Bascome added, and Government is seeking to attack that stigma by establishing a National AIDS Committee.

Mr. Bascome announced the initiative in a Ministerial statement to Parliament on Friday morning.

"As is the case in much of the world, people living with HIV and AIDS in Bermuda are still subjected to discrimination and stigma," he said. "Notwithstanding our efforts, pockets of fear and misunderstanding remain.

"We must continue to work to eliminate all examples of such stigma and discrimination."

With seven new HIV/AIDS cases to date this year, the total known number of affected people in the community comes 475 since the Health Department began compiling statistics in 1982.

Six men and one woman contacted the virus to date in 2002. Three of those affected were in the 30-39 age range and four were between the ages of 40 and 49.

According to Health Department statistics, a staggering 375 of those people have since passed away.

Bermuda appears to be bucking one global trend. For the first time this year, women comprised 50 percent of HIV/AIDS cases worldwide; on the Island however, women comprised just 22 percent HIV/AIDS cases since 1982 and there was only one new female case this year.

The accuracy of local statistics has long been open to question, as many people with means are believed to seek medical treatment overseas without local health authorities ever learning of their condition.

Particularly suspect is the statistics that over 90 percent of the cases of HIV/AIDS in Bermuda are reportedly suffered by black people. To date, only 43 white people have been known to have contacted the virus on the Island.

Bermuda is not alone in under-reporting however. At an AIDS media sensitivity seminar for small island states this past summer, countries such as British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands also reported that a great number of their residents are suspected of quietly and anonymously seeking treatment overseas, keeping AIDS statistics deceptively low.

The ongoing stigma attached to infection leads those infected to live in fear and for this reason the UN has created a two-year "Live and Let Live" campaign to attack these negative and hurtful attitudes.

Government's National Committee, being jointly developed with the Allen Vincent Smith Foundation, will comply with the UN campaign and follow the world body's guide to establishing and national strategy, Mr. Bascome said.

The issue has implications for many components of our community, he added, and therefore insurers, educators, media, employers, helping professionals and young people will be invited to work on the committee as well as people living with HIV/AIDS.

"May we all join together to ensure that all vestiges of stigma and discrimination against anyone living with HIV or AIDS are removed from these Islands," Mr. Bascome said.