New HIV infections have been reduced by 17% worldwide over the past eight years.
According to the 2009 AIDS Epidemic Update, from the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) sub-Saharan Africa saw 400,000 fewer infections in 2008.
In East Asia new HIV infections have declined 25% since 2001 and in South and South East Asia by 10%. In Eastern Europe, after a dramatic increase in new infections among injecting drug users, the epidemic has leveled off considerably. However, in some countries there are signs that new HIV infections are rising again.
“The good news is that we have evidence that the declines we are seeing are due, at least in part, to HIV prevention,” said Michel Sidibé, executive director of UNAIDS. “However, prevention programming is often off the mark and that if we do a better job of getting resources and programmes to where they will make most impact.”
An estimated 33.4 million people are living with HIV worldwide. Approximately 2.7 million people were newly infected in 2008 and about 2 million people died of AIDS in 2008.
Acknowledging gains made, Dr Margaret Chan, director general of WHO, said: “We cannot let this momentum wane. Now is the time to redouble our efforts, and save many more lives.”
The report also shows prevention efforts failing to keep pace. The epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia once characterised by injecting drug use is now spreading to the sexual partners of people who inject drugs. Similarly in parts of Asia an epidemic once characterised by sex work and injecting drug use is now increasingly affecting heterosexual couples.
