The report released this week indicates that overall, improved management and treatment of AIDS appears to have reduced the number of annual AIDS deaths in Barbados by half. HIV diagnoses among pregnant women also declined by that amount.

According to the report, "expanded counselling and testing services, along with the provision of antiretroviral regimens have reduced mother-to-child transmission of HIV" in Barbados. A similar situation has also been identified in the Bahamas.

However, the document notes that despite the progress made by Barbados and some of its regional neighbours, it has not been enough to undo the Caribbean's status as the second-most affected region in the world. AIDS remains the leading cause of death among adults aged 15 to 44.

The report pointed out that the incomplete and inconsistent nature of HIV and behavioural surveillance in many countries presents a major obstacle to prevention efforts.

"Especially lacking", it says, "is accurate information about behaviour patterns and trends among at-risk sections of the population, such as sex workers and men who have sex with men.

"With the exception of Cuba and, to a lesser degree, the Bahamas and Barbados, antiretroviral treatment access is highly uneven, particularly in some of the worst-affected countries in the Caribbean."