By Sarah Boseley
The Guardian UK

The spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic continues unabated, with the number of people infected rising once more in some countries which had been thought to be beating the disease, according to the UN.

There are now 39.5 million living with HIV infection, according to the annual UNAIDS report, released ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1, and 4.3 million of those were infected in 2006. That is 400,000 more than were infected in 2004.