New HIV cases have dropped more than 50 percent in 25 low- and middle-income countries with more than half of those countries in Africa, according to Results, a new World AIDS Day report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Some countries have made even larger cuts since 2001: 73 percent in Malawi, 71 percent in Botswana and 68 percent in Namibia. AIDS-related deaths have decreased by more than 25 percent globally between 2005 and 2011. Access to antiretroviral treatment has increased by 63 percent in the past two years. About 81 countries have increased domestic spending on HIV/AIDS by 50 percent between 2001 and 2011. UNAIDS believes the progress in its report should encourage world leaders to continue their support as the 1,000-day deadline approaches to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and the 2015 targets of the U.N. Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS.

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