Global HIV Rate Stabilizes

As the number of AIDS-related deaths in the United States continues its decade-long decline, the pandemic appears to be stabilizing in the rest of the world.

There were 2.7 million new HIV infections last year, approximately the same figure as in the three previous years, said the report from UNAIDS, the joint United Nations program on HIV and AIDS. The figures largely confirm earlier findings released by the group in June. At the end of last year, there were about 34 million people with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. While that is a slight rise from previous years, experts say that's due to people surviving longer. Last year, there were 1.8 million AIDS-related deaths, down from 1.9 million in 2009.

Area of eastern Europe and central Asia are bucking the downward trend, primarily due to a surge of infections among intravenous drug users.