Free HIV screening at Rome hospital on World AIDS Day.

The Italian ministry of health has launched its annual AIDS awareness campaign in time for World AIDS Day on 1 December.

In Rome the infectious diseases clinic at Rome's Lazzaro Spallanzani hospital on Via Portuense 292 is offering free testing for HIV on 1 December, from 17.00 to 19.00. The test is offered anonymously and the results, which are ready within 20 minutes, are communicated verbally by a doctor.

People in Italy with concerns about HIV/AIDS can call the free-phone AIDS helpline, tel. 800861061, Mon-Fri from 13.00 to 18.00. The line's expert operators are on hand to answer questions and offer advice in four languages: Italian, English, French and Portuguese.

Since 1988, World AIDS Day has been held annually on 1 December and is an opportunity for people around the world to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate those who have died as a result of HIV.

This year's World AIDS Day follows a report showing that the number of newly-diagnosed HIV infections in Europe hit a record high level in 2014. The survey by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recorded a total of 142,000 new HIV cases last year, up from 136,235 new cases in 2013. In Italy 3,695 people discovered they were HIV positive in 2014.

For details of hospitals and clinics in the Lazio region offering tests for HIV and other infectious diseases see the Regione Lazio website.