The number of HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths has plunged in recent years, a U.N. report said.

The report titled “2013 UNAIDS Report on the global AIDS epidemic” said that the death rate fell 30 percent to 1.6 million in 2012 since its peak in 2005 of 2.3 million victims.

The number of new HIV infections went down by one-third to 2.3 million during the same period. The drop was even steeper among children, showing a 52 percent reduction since 2001.

Officials from UNAIDS said the better access to antiretroviral drugs in the communities to treat AIDS and HIV infections helped pushed down death rates.

By the end of 2012, nearly 10 million AIDS patients among low and middle income countries received antiretroviral therapy.

“Not only can we meet the 2015 target of 15 million people on HIV treatment -- we must also go beyond and have the vision and commitment to ensure no one is left behind,” said Michel Sidibé, executive director of UNAIDS.

By Im Woo-jung, Intern reporter
(iwj@heraldcorp.com)