潘基文：艾滋病防治取得进展有待稳固

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is praising the progress the world has made in combating AIDS, but warns "the gains remain fragile."

In a statement for Monday's World AIDS Day, Mr. Ban highlighted the importance of addressing gaps in access to treatment, particularly for children and young women who are not getting necessary care.  He urged world leaders to do what is necessary to reach the goal of eradicating AIDS by 2030.

Worldwide, 35 million people are living with HIV, the virus the causes AIDS.  The U.N. says 19 million of them do not know they are infected, and used World AIDS Day to call for closing the gap in testing and the availability of antiretroviral therapies.

Sub-Saharan Africa still accounts for more than 70 percent of the HIV-infected population, but new infections there have declined by one-third since 2005.

Meanwhile, infections have been rising during that period in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.