Elton John gives AIDS charity concert in Ukraine

Elton John sang for tens of thousands of Ukrainians at a charity concert in Kiev's main square in a bid to raise money and increase awareness of the rapidly growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in this ex-Soviet republic.

The concert, held late Saturday, was the British singer's first performance in Ukraine and part of his Elton John AIDS Foundation's efforts to fight the spread of the disease.

Organizers said the group had already donated $2.6m to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in Ukraine over the past six years. Volunteers handed out condoms before the concert.

Ukraine has one of the fastest-growing HIV/AIDS epidemics in Europe. Government officials say nearly 77,000 people have been registered as HIV-positive since the first reported case in 1987.

Some experts have suggested that the epidemic in Ukraine is greater than the official figures, with as many as half a million people - 1 percent of Ukraine's population - infected.

President Viktor Yushchenko and other politicians and public figures attended the concert, which was broadcast live on local TV.

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