Asia warned of possible AIDS epidemics<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Manila<\/p>\n
Asian countries like China, India, Indonesia and the Philippines
\ncould face major epidemics of AIDS in the near future despite the
\nrelatively low incidence of the disease in the region at present,
\nthe special UN envoy on AIDS in Asia said here Friday.<\/p>\n
Nafis Sadik told a forum in the Philippine capital that this
\nmade it crucial for Asian nations to commit both the funds and
\npolitical will to campaigns to minimize the spread of AIDS and
\nHIV, the virus that causes the sexually-transmitted, incurable
\ndisease.<\/p>\n
She said that while the incidence of AIDS in Asia was lower
\nthan in other regions, "the absolute numbers are quite high," due
\nto the continent's large population.<\/p>\n
Sadik said that in India there were 3.5 million people
\ninfected with AIDS and HIV, making it the country with the second
\nhighest number of victims in the world.<\/p>\n
She warned that even with a low rate of infection in India,
\n"there will be 30 to 40 million people infected in no time at
\nall," adding the UN Program on HIV\/AIDS (UNAIDS) considered India
\n"an epidemic waiting to happen."<\/p>\n
Sadik said that in South Asian countries like India and
\nPakistan, many believed there was less risk of infection because
\nextramarital sex was supposedly less common.<\/p>\n
"In theory that might be correct, but in actual practice that
\nis not true," she said, remarking there had been cases of the
\ndisease being transmitted by travelers passing through the
\ncountryside, migrant workers and transient patrons of
\nprostitutes.<\/p>\n
In developing countries, most cases of AIDS infection was from
\nsex between men and women, particularly prostitutes, she said.
\nChina and India had recently launched national AIDS prevention
\nprograms "but what is lacking in both India and China is high-
\nlevel political support and commitment," Sadik said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia had seen an increase in AIDS in some regions and was
\npreparing a national AIDS prevention program but, she said, had
\nnot devoted enough resources to it."<\/p>\n
In contrast, countries like Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand
\nwith a higher incidence of AIDS, had committed both resources and
\npolitical will to their AIDS prevention campaigns, Sadik
\nremarked.<\/p>\n
UNAIDS also singled out the Philippines because almost all
\nforms of high-risk behavior are present in that country, such as
\nlarge numbers of sex workers, migrant workers, low use of condoms
\nand high rate of adolescent sexual activity, Sadik said.<\/p>\n
Despite this, the amount of funds going to AIDS prevention
\nactually declined in the Philippines, she said without giving
\ndetails.<\/p>\n
Indonesia had also seen a sharp rise in the incidence of AIDS
\namong sex workers and their clients in some regions, Sadik
\nremarked.<\/p>\n
All countries with high incidence had "a lack of attention,
\ninformation, access to condoms, (and) services," she said.<\/p>\n
She said that Vietnam was an example how AIDS could explode in
\nan Asian country, citing that in 1996 there were zero cases of
\nHIV infection among sex workers and their clients, but in 2000 it
\nhad risen to 20 percent of all prostitutes and clients.
\n"There is no room for complacency," she warned.<\/p>\n
Sadik said that a special Global Health Fund for AIDS,
\ntuberculosis and malaria had been set up to provide funds for
\nAIDS prevention, but a country must first prove it is willing to
\ncommit its own funds and political resources to the effort before
\nit would be entitled to such aid.<\/p>\n
Figures released by UNAIDS at the forum showed that there were
\nan estimated 7.1 million people with HIV and AIDS in the Asia-
\nPacific region at the end of 2001 out of a total 40 million
\nworldwide.<\/p>\n
An estimated 1.07 million people in the region got infected in
\nthat year alone with 435,000 deaths due to AIDS the same year.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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