WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- The World Bank on Wednesday announced a strategic plan to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic, with continued focus on efforts in poor and middle-income countries, the hardest hit by the epidemic.

    The plan, released on the eve of the World AIDS Day, said the bank would step up its support for the poor and middle-income countries through no-interest lending, grants, analysis, technicalbacking and advice on AIDS policy.

    The plan will also target women, young people and high-risk groups. The bank praised strengthened political will of governments in the fight against HIV/AIDS, citing increased funding worldwide, from 300 million US dollars in 1996 to about 8 billion dollars in 2005.

    However, deficiencies in national strategic plans have hampered the anti-HIV/AIDS efforts, said World Bank chief Paul Wolfowitz, noting they are without "clear priorities" and lacking in prevention, care and treatment levels.

    "Progress continues to be eroded by pitfalls in management and implementation," he said.

    The bank holds that preventing new infections while providing care and treatment for the infected and the affected is the key to the battle against HIV/AIDS.

    It emphasized in the plan the "Three Ones" approach on an international level: in each country, there should be one nationalHIV/AIDS authority, one national strategic plan and one system to monitor and evaluate the results.

    The World Bank set up its first anti-HIV/AIDS project in 1988. Its total input since then is more than 2.5 billion dollars. Enditem