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Asian Countries Called for Universal Access to AIDS Prevention

Posted on: Thursday, 16 February 2006, 09:01 CST

Asian countries called for universal access to AIDS prevention

BANGKOK, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- More than 200 delegates from over 20 countries in the Asia Pacific region are meeting this week in Thailand's resort city of Pattaya to discuss how to ensure universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

The conference runs between Feb. 14-16.

The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAids) has set a goal of achieving universal access to treatment and care by 2010, following a pledge from the G-8 to give 50 billion U.S. dollars to developing countries to deal with the pandemic.

The target was set after the World Health Organization failed in its effort to have expanded treatment to cover 3 million people living with HIV by last year.

The major concern facing the region is the high infection rate in specific groups, such as intravenous drug users, men who have sex with men, sex workers and migrant workers, said UNAids Asia Pacific regional director Prasada Rao.

To make sure the universal-access program succeeds, every nation in the region needs to expand prevention and treatment programs, Rao said.

It is essential to end discrimination against people with HIV/ AIDS, he added.

To get political leaders in Asia to make HIV/AIDS a priority is a challenge because the epidemic is not as prevalent here as on other continents, he said.

However, data from last year showed an alarming rise in infection rates among intravenous drug users and men who have sex with men, Rao added.

It is alarming enough that more than 8 million people live with HIV/AIDS in the region and there are more than 1 million new infections a year, said Michel Sidibe of UNAids.

"We're talking about extending the efforts to those people who we have not reached previously," Sidibe said.

Thailand is committed to halving the rate of new infections by 2010 and including marginalized groups like intravenous drug users and men who have sex with men in its prevention and treatment programs.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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