U.N.: HIV infections down 17 percent

SHANGHAI, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- New infections of HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS, have been reduced worldwide 17 percent during the past eight years, U.N. officials said Tuesday.

A report released in Shanghai by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, or UNAIDS, and the World Health Organization indicated since 2001 the number of new infections in sub-Saharan Africa has fallen approximately 15 percent, representing about 400,000 fewer infections.

Meanwhile in East Asia, new HIV infections were down by nearly 25 percent and in South and Southeast Asia, there were 10 percent fewer infections.

The report also found a dramatic increase in new infections in Eastern Europe has leveled off considerably, but some countries there are showing signs new HIV infections are again rising.

"The good news is that we have evidence that the declines we are seeing are due, at least in part, to HIV prevention," Michel Sidibe, UNAIDS executive director, said in a statement. "However, the findings also show that prevention programming is often off the mark and that if we do a better job of getting resources and programs to where they will make most impact, quicker progress can be made and more lives saved."