Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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United Press International - Friday, April 02, 1999
Dr. Peter Piot, executive director of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), told a press conference in Bangkok that over half of the new infections are people under 25 years of age.
According to the most recent estimates, South and Southeast Asia are showing the most drastic increases in HIV infections.
Children and young people accounted for 700,000 of those infected. The highest HIV prevalence can be seen in Cambodia, Burma, India and Thailand. Piot predicted the situation will get worse with the region's growing economic woes spawning an increase in prostitution and restraints on Asian budgets.
Piot said the number of prostitutes in Phnom Penh and Battambang jumped from 1,500 to 40,000 in less than a year in 1990.
Introducing the anti-AIDS campaign employing the slogan, Listen, Learn and Live!, Piot stressed that open communications and education are key to fighting the deadly disease.
He said many countries share a culture of silence that makes people shy away from frank discussion of sex and drug. He urged adults to speak openly with their children and urge safe behavior.
Piot said economic hard times has seen a higher school dropout rate, making youth more susceptible to prostitution, drug use and other high- risk behavior.
He said Asian governments may turn to health and education programs to cut costs. He said that would be a tragic mistake.
Piot said investing in HIV prevention programs now will pay off for generations to come.
Brian Doberstyn, World Health Organization representative and chief of mission to Thailand, added that care and counseling for people with HIV/AIDS is a major issue in addition to prevention programs. He said discrimination against HIV/AIDS carriers, and children in particular, is widespread in Asia.
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