New HIV infections have dropped more than 50 percent in 25 low-
and middle-income countries, according to a new World AIDS Day
report by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS. There
were 700,000 fewer new infections last year than in 2001,
according to the report "Results." More than half of the
countries reporting fewer infections are in sub-Saharan Africa,
the region with some of the highest number of HIV cases in the
world. Infection rates have dropped dramatically in Malawi (73
percent), Botswana (71 percent), Namibia (68 percent) Zambia (58
percent), Zimbabwe (50 percent) and by 41 percent in Swaziland
and South Africa, for example. Along with these reductions, AIDS
experts say the number of people getting antiretroviral
treatment increased 63 percent in the past two years. Sub-
Saharan Africa treated a record 2.3 million people, and the
number of people treated in China jumped 50 percent last year.
AIDS-related deaths dropped more than 25 percent over the last
six years, and countries with some of