BANGKOK, July 10: An ambitious plan to provide AIDS treatment for three million people in developing countries by the end of next year is behind schedule and urgent action is needed to get back on track , the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday.

The WHO said significant progress had been made after six months of its high-profile "3 by 5" strategy, but its report published on Saturday said work was going too slowly.

The scheme aims to provide antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to people in developing countries after it became clear that the often high-cost treatment dramatically cut AIDS deaths in countries where it could be afforded.

The initiative was unveiled on World AIDS Day on Dec 1 last year, but funding problems slowed initial progress and after six months it has fallen 60,000 short of its goal of putting 500,000 people on treatment.

Dr Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS, said at a press conference in Bangkok: "We have to be frank and admit there is a very long way to go."

However, the WHO said it was still double the number of those being treated in some of the world's poorest regions at the time of the last AIDS summit two years ago and the organisation said it was confident of reaching its target.

"Anything less falls short of an appropriate response to the greatest global public health challenge of our times," according to the "3 by 5" progress report released ahead of the start on Sunday of the six-day 15th International AIDS Conference here.

Stephen Lewis, the UN secretary-general's envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, conceded that the three million target might not be reached.

But he added: "The momentum for treatment is overwhelming. I think it has been painfully slow but there is a sense of importance and urgency and determination to press forward."

Dr Jim Yong Kim, director of HIV/AIDS at the WHO, said in a statement that it was time to forge ahead with the programme.

"Now the commitment, significant financing and building blocks are in place there are no more excuses," he said.

"We are moving in the right direction but too slowly. We now have 18 months ... to rapidly increase the availability of prevention, treatment and care in developing countries."

Within weeks of the launch of the programme, 56 countries had asked the WHO for help in putting more of its people on to treatment for HIV/AIDS.

The WHO said another 100,000 health and community workers were needed worldwide, millions had to be tested for HIV/AIDS and more money was needed to reach the target.

It said there was a 62 million dollar shortfall in the 218 million dollar cost of rolling out the programme. The WHO also estimated the cost of treatment for three million people by the end of 2005 would be 5.5 billion dollars.

However it said big strides had been taken in supplying training, advice and affordable drugs to those that needed it. The cost of initial treatment had halved in less than 12 months to about 150 dollars per person per year, it said.

Rolake Nwagwu, a Nigerian woman who is HIV positive, told reporters that the "3 by 5" programme was an answer to her prayers.

"There is no option. '3 by 5' not working simply means six million people will die and this six foot tall 90kg (198 pound) woman will be a pack of bones and lying here dying." -AFP