ABIDJAN, June 15 (Xinhua) -- The pace of the deadly AIDS epidemic is slowing down in some African countries due to a series of effective prevention measures, Cote d'Ivoire media quoted a World Bank report as saying on Friday.

    According to the report, in some African countries such as Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe and urban areas of Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi and Malawi, the pace of AIDS epidemic is slowing as communities are empowered to help themselves with better delivery of condoms and life-saving treatments.

    But the report did not give specific figures.

    Meanwhile, it pointed out that the situation of African countries in preventing and curing AIDS is still not optimistic.

    In 2006, more than 2 million people died of AIDS and some other 24.7 million were infected on the African continent, the report added. South Africa, however, has the world's second largest number of people infected by HIV, approximately 5.5 million out of a total population of 47 million.

    The report suggested African countries to strengthen and improve the social immune system, abandon bad habits which went against the AIDS prevention and rectify social activities and individual behavior so as to prevent the spread of the disease more effectively.