Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The Associated Press; 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020 - Sunday, October 26, 1997; 8:56 a.m. EST
Jim Gomez, Associated Press Writer
"The AIDS clock in Asia's most populous countries is clearly ticking fast," Dr. Peter Piot, executive director of the Joint U.N. Program on HIV/AIDS told an international AIDS congress in Manila.
An estimated 7 million people already are infected with the AIDS-causing virus in the region and the number is expected to double at the end of the century, a congress statement said.
About 2,500 delegates, including AIDS activists and scientists from 65 countries are attending the five-day congress at a seaside convention center in Manila to discuss global cooperation in combating the disease.
Piot said Asia-Pacific countries could still avert a major AIDS epidemic "if the region wakes up in time" unlike countries in Africa, the region with the world's highest number of infections.
Despite efforts by some Asian governments to check the spread of AIDS, the rate of infections has doubled in the last three years through sex and injections of prohibited drugs, he said.
Citing figures by the World Health Organization's Western Pacific regional office, Piot said the total number of infections is estimated to double again by the end of this century.
He said among the hardest-hit Asian countries were India, which has the world's highest number of infections at five million people, and Cambodia, where half the number of sex workers are infected.
In China, officials estimate that infection with the AIDS virus and full-blown cases will number from about 400,000 by the end of 1997 to 1.2 million by the year 2000.
Although most past infections were among drug users, officials say the number of future infections would most likely be accelerated in China's booming coastal regions, which are experiencing vast population movements.
Officials said booming economies across Asia are a factor in the spread of AIDS, due to corresponding influx of people from areas with high infection rates.
Like in China, most infections in Vietnam were also among drug users. Officials said an estimated 300,000 cases, or one out of 100 adults, will be infected in Vietnam by the end of the century.
Piot cited Thailand, one of the first Asian countries to face the AIDS problem, for an effective anti-AIDS campaign aimed at sex workers, which considerably reduced new infections. The country is expected to have 800,000 infections by the year 2000.
Officials said lesser number of infections were noted in Bangladesh, Japan, Nepal, Singapore, the Philippines and most Pacific nations.
Delegates said cooperation among countries could be the key to preventing a widespread outbreak.
"Asia can meet the AIDS challenge if it uses existing knowledge, existing tools and best practices. Not to take full advantage of all that would be a tragedy of historic proportions for Asia's billions," Piot said.
Piot said many Asian countries most likely could not afford the high costs of an AIDS epidemic. He said that in Indonesia, for example, it was estimated last year that by 2005, government spending on treatment for AIDS patients would account for one-third of current health expenses.
On Saturday, Dr. Ofelia Monson, chief organizer of the congress, said countries worldwide "need to cross borders and form partnerships against AIDS."
Addressing the delegates on Saturday, Philippine President Fidel Ramos said "xenophobic reactions," like closing borders to suspected carriers of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, are not a solution.
"Closing borders would only serve to increase the vulnerability of peoples and reduce their survivability," he said. "Clearly the only recourse that nations can take is to share experiences, learn from each other and be united in an unwavering commitment to fight AIDS."
"We must act now, together," he said. "The price of apathy and inactivity -- in lives lost, economic opportunities foregone, and setbacks in human development -- is just too high to ignore."
Around six million people worldwide have died of AIDS and more than 20 million are carriers of the AIDS-causing virus.
Copyright 1997/The Associated Press. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Permissions Desk, The Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020.
971026
AP971014
Copyright © 1997 - Associated Press. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the AP Permissions Desk.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1997. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1997. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .