HIV epidemic threatens Asia

HIV epidemic threatens Asia

James Njoroge
26 November 2003
Source: SciDev.Net


A wave of HIV epidemics is threatening Asia and Eastern Europe,
according to a report released yesterday (25 November) by the World
Health Organisation (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on
HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

The report, AIDS Epidemic Update 2003, warns that China, India,
Indonesia and Russia are at particular risk of spread of the disease
due to unsafe sex and injecting drug use.

But sub-Saharan Africa remains the region that is still feeling the
effects of the disease most severely, with 3 million new infections
and 2.5 million deaths in the past year. Of the 42 million people
living with HIV this year, more than 26 million live in sub-Saharan
Africa.

"AIDS is tightening its grip on Southern Africa and threatening other
regions of the world," says Peter Piot, chief executive of UNAIDS.
"Today's report warns regions experiencing newer HIV epidemics that
they can either act now or pay later – as Africa is now having to
pay."

The report, which was released in London ahead of World AIDS Day on 1
December, warns that levels of the disease are growing in areas which
until recently experienced little or no HIV.

"Recent rapid increases in HIV infections in China, Indonesia and
Vietnam show how suddenly an epidemic can erupt wherever significant
levels of drugs injecting occur," it says.

The report praises some successful initiatives against HIV/AIDS, such
as the US government's Emergency plan on AIDS, and the Global Fund to
Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

But Piot warns that global efforts against HIV/AIDS are inadequate
"for an epidemic that continues to spiral out of control". Effective
HIV prevention programmes should be scaled up, he says, to help reduce
the number of new infections.

The WHO has been developing a global strategy to bring antiretroviral
treatment to 3 million people by 2005. The strategy, commonly, known
as ‘3 by 5', will be unveiled next week.

Link to full report AIDS Epidemic Update 2003