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"Call for focus on Asian AIDS crisis"
The
Star (www.thestar.com.my)
(23/03/07)
Region home to 8.5 million infected people
NEW YORK: Asian medical experts appealed for global action to help curb the
growing HIV/AIDS crisis in their region, home to more than 8.5 million
infected people.
“The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Asia is often overlooked, compared to Africa ...
how many infections do we need before taking action?” Mongolia's UN
ambassador Baatar Choisuren said on Wednesday.
The briefing by officials from Malaysia, India and Mongolia was sponsored by
UNAIDS, the UN joint programme on the epidemic.
Asia has the second-highest level of HIV infection in the world after
sub-Saharan Africa, and most victims belong to marginalised social groups
which do not receive adequate support, according to Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman
of the Malaysian AIDS Council.
Approximately 630,000 infected people in the region died last year,
according to UNAIDS.
Dr Adeeba said the most at-risk populations – including intravenous drug
users, sex workers, migratory labourers and men who have sex with men – were
not being reached by prevention, treatment and care programmes.
“In Asia particularly, HIV/AIDS issues have not been openly discussed by
virtue of their nature that involves sex, sexuality and drug use,” she said.
“What governments need to do is not be squeamish about these difficult areas
if we are going to be effective in reducing HIV/AIDS in the region.”
A UNAIDS document distinguishes “men who have sex with men” from
homosexuals, because most “living outside the West are not identifiable as
such, they live and work in their communities unremarked and are often heads
of families with children.”
The high-risk group, which also includes transgenders, has received
increasing attention by UNAIDS in recent years.
Because of the illegality of homosexual activity, prostitution and drug use
in many Asian countries, Dr Adeeba said it was difficult to get legal
support for prevention efforts.
Suresh Kumar, director of the National AIDS Control Organisation in India's
health ministry, stressed the need to increase political commitment from
Asian governments.
Kumar said there was a lack of coordination between agencies to effectively
approach the problem.
The non-governmental organisations which do exist were too weak to deliver
nationwide services, and the government offices were not committed, he said.
“Right now, it is very confused and muddled. We need to work to sort it all
out,” he said. — AP
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