The 2006 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic was released yesterday by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. UNAIDS reports an apparent slowing in the global spread of the virus, but also highlights several areas where response and prevention efforts are falling short.

Some regions and countries have reduced HIV prevalence through substantial increases in funding and the adoption of new national AIDS plans. Yet the AIDS pandemic continues to worsen in many countries, particularly in developing regions. India now has the largest number of AIDS cases: 5.7 million in 2005. In Sub-Saharan Africa, treatment coverage remains limited, yet the per capita AIDS rate is the highest in the world, causing 2 million deaths in the last year. Today, an estimated 38.6 million people worldwide are currently infected with HIV, with roughly 4.1 million new cases reported in 2005.

The comprehensive findings of this year's report indicate that reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015 (and thus achieving the HIV/AIDS Millennium Development Goal) will require increases in both national and international funding, as well as concentrated efforts in prevention, namely AIDS education, condom use, and antiretroviral treatment preventative care for infected mothers. Leaders from the United Nations, civil society, and national governments around the world will meet this week in New York City to review the progress made since the 2001 Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS was signed by 189 UN Member States and assess future requirements to eradicate the spread of HIV/AIDS.