The number of deaths due to HIV and AIDS is expected to peak in 2012, according to a report released by the World Health Organization.

In its new Global Burden of Disease publication on Monday, the UN health agency expects deaths caused by HIV and AIDS to rise from 2.2 million in 2008 to a maximum of 2.4 million in 2012, before declining to 1.2 million in 2030.

"Deaths (from HIV and AIDS) will continue to increase somewhat for a few years... by 2030 they would have declined from current levels today," said Colin Mathers, WHO coordinator for epidemiology and the burden of disease.

The last forecast has sharply cut the WHO's earlier mortality projection, which expects deaths from HIV and AIDS would rise from 2.8 million in 2002 to 6.5 million in 2030.

Last year, the United Nations reduced its estimate of the number of people living with AIDS.

In the new publication, the Geneva-based agency also said heart ailments, infectious diseases and cancer remain the world's top three killers.

(Agencies via Xinhua October 29, 2008)