Asia
AIDS cases could jump in Asia by 2020: U.N. report
By Lewis Krauskopf
Mar 26, 2008, 15:52

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The number of people in Asia infected with HIV could jump by almost 8 million by 2020 unless more is done to combat the spread of the virus that causes AIDS, a report presented to the U.N. secretary-general said on Wednesday.

That increase could be kept to 3 million if a response program is adopted immediately, according to the report from The Commission on AIDS in Asia.

Nearly 5 million people are infected with HIV in Asia now, with 440,000 people dying annually, the report said. The annual death toll will rise to almost 500,000 by 2020 without a scaled-up response, according to the report, entitled "Redefining AIDS in Asia - Crafting an Effective Response."

"By implementing the recommendations of the commission, Asian countries can avert massive increases in infections and death, prevent economic losses and save millions of people from poverty," U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement.

AIDS is the most likely cause of death and work days lost among 15-to-44-year-olds in Asia, the commission said.

The commission recommended an annual investment of 30 cents to 50 cents per capita on focused prevention programs. By spending $1 per person, the countries can implement a broader approach including treatment.

"The findings of this report demonstrate the diversity of the AIDS epidemics in Asia and the need for countries to understand what is driving their epidemics and how to reach populations most at risk of HIV infection," Peter Piot, Director of the Joint U.N. Program on HIV/AIDS, said in a statement.

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