This World Aids Day Prime Minister David Cameron has called on community and faith groups to help battle the stigma of Aids and HIV.

In a video address via the Downing Street website Cameron praised the NHS for its work to ease not only the clinical but the emotional aspects of dealing with the disease in the UK. 

Last year there were 6,630 newly diagnosed cases of HIV in the UK and as of June 2010, there have been 26,262 diagnoses of Aids in the UK.

The government is working in partnership with registered charities the Terrence Higgins Trust and the African Health Network to target at-risk groups and to reduce the stigma associated with the condition.

But there is still a long way to go, said the Prime Minister, as he called on community and faith groups among others to play their part:

"Tackling the stigma that comes with HIV and Aids is not just a job for government alone," he said. "It means those in the media sending out responsible messages, it means role models and well-known figures lending their support to the cause, it means community groups and faith groups doing their bit to spread the message about prevention and testing in the local area."