Over eight million people worldwide had access to life-saving treatment in low- and middle-income countries last year, an increase of 1.4 million over 2010, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV & AIDS (UNAIDS) said in a report.

The report - Together We Will End AIDS - said that despite the substantial numbers of people newly starting treatment, it is only just over half (54% ) of the 14.8 million people eligible, Xinhua reported.

According to the report, some 34.2 million people are living with the AIDS virus globally, including 2.5 million who became infected last year.

And 1.7 million died in 2011. New infections and deaths dropped slightly last year.  The report also outlined the significant progress that has been made in reducing new HIV infections in children. Since 2009, new infections in children have fallen by an estimated 24%.