BBC News - Thursday, 4 October, 2001
Julian Siddle, BBC science reporter
In a report, it says statistics showing rates of infection of less than 1% are misleading. It warns that as the incidence of HIV, the virus that can lead to Aids, in high-risk groups increases, the classic pattern is for the virus to spread to the wider population.
But UNAIDS commends Thailand for reducing new infections by 80% through public awareness campaigns.
The report comes on the eve of the 6th International Conference on Aids in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP), being held in Melbourne, Australia.
Failures
It says rates of HIV infection amongst Chinese prostitutes have increased from near zero to 90% in just four years.
Nearly half of all Nepal's intravenous drug users are now HIV-positive, and in Indonesia, infection rates amongst blood donors saw a 10-fold increase between 1998 and 2000.
The report says statistics from many Asian countries showing HIV affecting less than 1% of the population are misleading, as the epidemic is only just beginning.
It says HIV infection is still mainly confined to high risk groups, such as sex workers and their clients, homosexual and bisexual men, and injecting drug users. The classic pattern is for HIV to spread from these groups to the general population.
Successes
However the report does offer some hope. Thailand, where one person in 60 has HIV, has managed to reduce the occurrence of new HIV infections by nearly 80%.
It has introduced a widespread public awareness campaign, regular tests of sex workers for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, and a national programme to promote condom use.
This method is being held up as a model for other Asian countries, and has already been adopted by Cambodia with some success.
However, the report's authors stress there is no room for complacency.
They say, if Aids is to be defeated in Asia, governments and agencies need to work towards breaking down the cultural and religious taboos surrounding the discussion of sexual practices and condom use.
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