Nairobi, Kenyan (BBN)– Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged world leaders to take bold decisions to tackle the AIDS epidemic, as he launched a new United Nations report that warns that recent gains, while laudable, are fragile.

The report, “Uniting for universal access: towards zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths,” comes 30 years into the AIDS epidemic and just months ahead of a high-level meeting of the General Assembly in June on the issue.

“Ten years ago, the international community came together at the General Assembly special session on HIV/AIDS and set targets for the year 2010. Now it is time to take a hard look at where we failed … where we succeeded … and why,” Mr. Ban said at the launch of the report in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi on Thursday.

The report, based on data from 182 countries, highlights that the global rate of new HIV infections is declining, treatment access is expanding and the world has made significant strides in reducing HIV transmission from mother to child.

Despite these achievements, the report underscores that the gains are fragile. For every person who starts antiretroviral treatment, two people become newly infected with HIV, and every day 7,000 people are newly infected, including 1,000 children.

“Thirty years into the epidemic, it is imperative for us to re-energise the response today for success in the years ahead,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint UN Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), who joined Mr. Ban for the launch of the report.

The other goals are to eliminate HIV transmission from mother to child; reduce by 50 per cent tuberculosis deaths in people living with HIV; ensure HIV treatment for 13 million people; reduce by 50 per cent the number of countries with HIV-related restrictions on entry, stay and residence; and ensure equal access to education for children orphaned and made vulnerable by AIDS.

The report also encourages countries to prioritize funding for HIV programs, especially in light of the fact that international funding for HIV assistance declined for the first time in 2009.

BBN/SSR/SI-01Apr11-9:45 pm (BST)