New research has indicated that death rates from Aids-related illnesses have fallen by 80% in the first four years following the introduction of radical new treatments for HIV infection.
The findings, published today in the Lancet medical journal, analysed data from a collaboration of 22 different studies across Europe, Australia and Canada.
Researchers found that the use of anti-retroviral drugs has significantly increased life expectancy for patients.
However the study also found that people who acquired HIV by injecting drugs were four times more likely to die of Aids than men infected through sexual contact, because of additional complications such as Hepatitis C.
