AIDS in Asia I

AIDS in Asia I

At least 8.2 million Asians are carrying the AIDS virus, with 1,500 dying every day and 1.2 million new infections last year alone -- estimates that could easily understate the problem.

That is second only to sub-Saharan Africa. Experts fear there could be 20 million infected in Asia within five years.

The global call for greater awareness on World Aids Day has a particular resonance for Asia.

The human toll and lost economic opportunity could weigh on the regions rise in the world economic order. But greater prosperity can also empower it to stem the tide of a modern scourge of humanity. -- South China Morning Post, Hong Kong