Bangkok Post - April 24, 2001
Aphaluck Bhatiasevi

Kathleen Cravero, UNAids deputy director-general, said there were signs the virus could escalate in Asia.

The 57th Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific session in Bangkok was told over 900,000 new HIV infections were detected last year in Asia and 490,000 Aids-related deaths were recorded.

"At this point it could well start increasing faster in Asia than in Africa," Ms Cravero said.

Several African countries are showing signs of containing the virus while Asia observes a continuous increase.

She said South Asia was "a hot bed of infection" and warned it was the fastest growing epidemic area outside Sub-Saharan Africa. There was an estimated 5% infection rate per four million population.

There are 25.3 million HIVAids sufferers in Sub-Saharan Africa while the Asia and Pacific region accounts for 6.4 million.

"Half of the world's population lives in this region and some of these countries have the largest populations. So, even a small change in the proportion of people infected would have major implications," Ms Cravero said.

Contributing factors to the rapid spread of the virus in the region include poverty, political instability, economic upheavals, rapid social and economic change, unprecedented population migration (including urban migration) and a booming sex industry.

"Changes in drug trafficking routes and the recent increase in production of several synthetic drugs expose new populations in Asia and the Pacific to the ever increasing dangers of drug infections and HIV."

Ms Cravero noted that two of the world's largest opium- and heroin-producing countries were in Asia.

Nations like Thailand, Cambodia, Burma and parts of India have already suffered general epidemics of HIV-Aids, indicating a rampant spread of the epidemic, Ms Cravero said.

"This is why the rapid spread of HIV is being reported in several population groups in many countries in Asia and the Pacific, where the prevalence had been low before," she said.

Elder statesmen from Asia and Africa also used the conference to plead for urgent action to avert the major health threat.

Former prime minister Anand Panyarachun said strong political leadership was essential to tackle the virus.

"Only governments and political leadership at the highest level could make a difference in the fight against HIV/Aids on a national scale," he said.

Ten years ago, he said, his administration acknowledged the epidemic had arrived in Thailand and accepted it would not go away.

Former Zambian president Kenneth D Kaunda urged developing countries in Asia and Africa to co-operate to beat the epidemic.

"We must take action to provide treatment and care for people living with HIV/Aids, by sharing research information," Mr Kaunda said.

William Black, of the Thailand Business Coalition on Aids, called on all businesses to eliminate denial and the stigmatisation of people with HIV/Aids in the workplace.

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