Geneva - The number of people receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS in poor and middle-income countries reached 3 million in 2007, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported Monday. However twice as many people were still not receiving treatment.

A combined report by WHO, UNAIDS and UNICEF said the numbers of people receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) had reached 3 million, a seven-fold increase in four years.

"This represents a remarkable achievement for public health," said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan.

"This proves that with commitment and determination, all obstacles can be overcome. People living in resource-constrained settings can indeed be brought back to economically and socially productive lives by these drugs."

Increased availability of drugs, price reductions, and better delivery were the main reasons for the scaling up. However, the number of people tested positive with HIV had also risen.

Despite the improvement, millions more were still not getting the treatment they needed.

The report said some 31 per cent of the estimated 9.7 million people in need of ART received it by late 2007 leaving an estimated 6.7 million still unable to access life-saving medicines.

Nearly 500,000 women were able to access antiretrovirals to prevent transmission to their unborn children in 2007, up from 350,000 in 2006. During the same period, 200,000 children were receiving ART, compared to 127 000 at the end of 2006.

"We are seeing encouraging progress in the prevention of HIV transmission from mother to newborn," says UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman.

Tuberculosis was still a major cause of death among HIV infected people worldwide, and the number one cause of death among those living in Africa.

The report said HIV and TB services were insufficiently integrated. Too many people were losing their lives because health authorities were unable to either prevent TB or access life-saving medications for both diseases. (dpa)