The number of AIDS deaths worldwide dropped 10% in 2007 because of increasing access to treatment, as did the number of new infections in children, the United Nations reported Tuesday.
Condom use and prevention efforts increased in many countries and adolescent sexual intercourse declined in some of the most heavily affected regions, the report says.
"In a surprisingly short period of time, there has been a tripling of prevention efforts in some countries," said Dr. Paul De Lay, director of evaluation for UNAIDS.
Despite these gains, however, the overall number of new infections remained constant at about 2.7 million for the year, fueled by increases in countries that include China, Indonesia, Kenya, Mozambique, Russia and Vietnam.
"Although we have seen real progress in the last two years, if we want to continue to see results, we will need to see more financial resources and commitment," said Purnima Mane, deputy executive director of the U.N. Population Fund.
The biennial UNAIDS report was issued just days before the Sunday start of the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City.
The numbers are little changed from a report issued in November in which the agency drastically revised estimates of HIV prevalence.
The new report says about 33 million people are living with HIV. About 2.7 million people were newly infected with the virus in 2007, down from 3 million in 2001, and 2 million died of complications from AIDS last year, down from 2.2 million the previous year.
To date, an estimated 32 million :MpS3FLivaDMJ: www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/aids/News/aidsfaq.html+how+many+people+have+died+of+aids%3F& ;hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us"> www.usaid.gov/our_work/global_health/aids/News/aidsfaq.html+how+many+people+have+died+of+aids%3F& ;hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us people have died of complications from AIDS.
About $3 billion a year is being spent on treatment for 3 million people in developing countries, compared with fewer than half a million people in 2003. In Namibia, for example, 88% of those needing treatment in 2007 were receiving it, compared with 1% in 2003. Cambodia scaled up treatment from 14% to 67%.
Progress is also being made in preventing mother-to-child transmission. From 2005 to 2007, the percentage of pregnant women in developing countries receiving treatment rose from 14% to 33%, while the number of new infections in children fell from 410,000 to 370,000.
