NHS's Julie Billet and Islington Council leader Catherine West support World Aids Day

New government figures reveal Islington and Hackney have two of the highest rates of HIV infection in England.

Islington has the seventh highest rate and Hackney has the 10th highest, according to figures released by the Health Protection Agency ahead of World AIDS Day on Saturday, based on 2011 data.

For every 1,000 people aged 15 to 59, there were 8.5 with diagnosed HIV in Islington, while in Hackney the figure was 7.42.

Across the two boroughs, there were 2,557 people aged 15 to 59 who were diagnosed with HIV in all. Estimates suggest that, in Islington alone, a further 423 people were infected with HIV but were unaware.

Deborah Jack, chief executive of the National AIDS Trust, said: “Islington and Hackney have some of the highest rates of HIV in the whole of the UK and a quarter of people with HIV are unaware they have the virus.

“To tackle this problem and the stigma still attached to the virus, we must increase understanding about HIV – how it’s passed on and how people can protect themselves and others.”

Visit www.hivaware.org.uk for more information.