The number of new HIV infections and deaths from Aids are falling globally, according to new statistics from the UN's programme on HIV/Aids.

联合国艾滋病规划署的最新统计数据显示，全球范围内新感染艾滋病病毒的人数和死于艾滋病的人数正在下降。

The virus is transmitted in blood

There are now signs the epidemic¹ is declining, it says, however, stigma²（柱头，耻辱） and discrimination continue to cause problems for the estimated 33m people living with HIV.

Last year there were 2.6m new HIV infections.

This is down almost 20% since the peak of the Aids epidemic in 1999.

In 2009, 1.8m died from Aids-related illnesses, down from 2.1m in 2004.

Mixed progress

The report says rates of treatment using anti-retroviral drugs have risen from 700,000 in 2004 to over 5m people in 2009.

Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the region most affected³ by the epidemic, with around 70% of all new HIV infections occurring here.

But infection rates are falling, particularly in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.

There is a mixed picture in other parts of the world.

Eastern Europe and central Asia show sharp rises in new infections and Aids-related deaths.

And the UN says bad laws and discrimination, particularly in respect to（关于，考虑） drug users and homosexuals, continue to hamper⁴（妨碍，束缚） the fight against Aids.

"We are breaking the trajectory⁵（轨道，弹道） of the Aids epidemic with bold actions and smart choices," said Mr Michel Sidibe, executive director of UNAids.

"Investments in the Aids response are paying off, but gains are fragile - the challenge now is how we can all work to accelerate progress."