UN says new AIDS infections dropped since 2001

UNITED NATIONS — 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.