ASEAN seeks to thrash out joint AIDS strategy<\/p>\n
HANOI (AFP): Experts from around southeast Asia opened a four-
\nday meeting here Wednesday to thrash out a joint strategy for
\ncontrolling the spread of AIDS amid warnings the region remains
\nvulnerable to a serious explosion of HIV infection.<\/p>\n
Even though the AIDS epidemic had hit southeast Asia later
\nthan Africa, Europe and North America, it was now \"on a rapid
\nincrease,\" warned Vietnamese Health Minister Do Nguyen Phuong.<\/p>\n
Information sharing and joint monitoring by member states of
\nthe Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) were vital if
\nthe region was to avoid the \"pandemic,\" he said.<\/p>\n
ASEAN health ministries reported that HIV detection rates
\nremained low among the general population but warned that much
\nhigher rates among high risk groups like prostitutes and
\nintravenous drug-users left no room for complacency.<\/p>\n
The continued failure of at-risk groups to use condoms or
\nclean needles meant there was a serious danger that the higher
\nrates of infection could spread to the general population.<\/p>\n
Vietnam has already reached a \"concentrated stage\" of the
\nepidemic, with HIV infection of five percent among high risk
\ngroups far outstripping infection of less than one percent among
\nthe general population, a health ministry study presented to the
\nmeeting said.<\/p>\n
A Philippine study said high rates of syphilis among
\nprostitutes showed condoms were still being used rarely,
\nthreatening to undermine the still low rates of HIV infection.<\/p>\n
\"We shouldn't be complacent -- behavioral data shows that most
\nhigh risk individuals fail to take proper protective measures,\"
\nit said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia said the fact that just 1,439 people had so far
\ntested HIV-positive in a population of nearly 180 million should
\nnot allay any fears.<\/p>\n
\"Almost all the favorable conditions for the spread of HIV
\nexist\" in Indonesia, including \"high-risk sexual behavior,
\npoverty, high prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, (and)
\nincreasing migration and urbanization,\" the health ministry study
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Delegates warned that HIV infection remained seriously under-
\nreported in the region as a lack of resources meant screening
\nstill covered only a small minority of the population.<\/p>\n
The Lao health ministry acknowledged that it had tested just
\n47,762 blood samples in a population of more than five million,
\nputting a serious question mark over the official figure of just
\n632 people HIV-positive.<\/p>\n
Delegates broadly agreed with a World Bank study published
\nearlier this month highlighting rising intravenous drug use as
\nthe leading source of HIV transmission in the region.<\/p>\n
Sexual transmission was rising rapidly, they said, not least
\nbecause so many prostitutes were also intravenous drug users.
\n\"It is clear that in Vietnam HIV infection is predominantly and
\nrapidly being transmitted among injecting drug users,\" the
\nVietnamese health ministry said.<\/p>\n
But there had also been a rapid increase in HIV infection
\namong prostitutes, with infection rates reaching 15.9 percent in
\nthe commercial capital of Ho Chi Minh City in 1999 against just
\n3.1 percent the previous year, it added.<\/p>\n
\"The high prevalence of drug injecting among female sex
\nworkers may explain this increase,\" it said.<\/p>\n
The Vietnamese health ministry said it would launch a month-
\nlong AIDS awareness campaign on November 15, on the eve of U.S.
\nPresident Bill Clinton's landmark visit here next week.<\/p>\n
Clinton is expected to announce substantial U.S. financial
\nsupport for AIDS prevention here amid mounting U.S. concern.
\n\"(AIDS) is a mounting problem in Vietnam and could be
\ncatastrophic if it is not addressed right away,\" an embassy
\nofficial said last week.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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