UNITED NATIONS (AP) – A new report by the United Nations AIDS
agency says the last decade has seen a 25 percent decline in new
HIV infections.
The agency also reports a reduction in AIDS-related deaths and
“unprecedented advances” in access to treatment, prevention
services and care.
But UNAIDS said these achievements are unevenly distributed and
fall short of global targets.
The report, released Thursday night, said more than 34 million
people were living with HIV at the end of 2010 – including 2.6
million who became newly infected with the HIV virus in 2009.
An estimated 6.6 million people in low- and middle-income
countries were receiving antiretroviral drug treatment at the end
of last year, but about 9 million eligible people in those
countries were not, the report said.