United Nations Radio

More than two million Africans received life-saving anti-retroviral treatment last year.

And in some countries, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is leveling off or even falling.

That's what Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday in remarks on presentation of a report by the Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa.

But he says serious challenges remain:

"In several countries, prevalence is rising among young people as well as women and girls. Five million Africans still need treatment. Some countries have to spend more than a quarter of their heath budget on treating HIV/AIDS."

The Secretary-General says that is why the international community must act on the understanding that Africa has multiple AIDS epidemics and one-size-fits-all policies will not work across the region.

And he adds, it is why we must learn better to grasp how cultural norms and attitudes increase the risk of infection.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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