Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) - June 15, 2005
Growing concern: The HIV/Aids epidemic in Burma is "being fuelled by a mixture of ignorance, denial and lack of government action", which is a "dangerous cocktail" that could result in an HIV/Aids prevalence consistent with some African nations, according to the Bangkok Post.
According to aid workers, about two-thirds of commercial sex workers in the capital city of Rangoon are HIV-positive and an estimated one-fifth of pregnant women in the commercial town of Lashio are infected with the virus. If current trends continue, as much as one-quarter of the population of Burma could be affected by HIV/Aids within the next 10 years, according to the Post.
Although the military government recently has supported HIV/Aids educational campaigns, it remains in a "state of denial", saying Burma's "culture and religion" limit the spread of the virus. The government says more than 300 000 of the country's 54-million people are HIV-positive, but UNAids estimates that twice as many people between 15 and 49 are living with the disease.
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