Manila - The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday
that unprotected male-to-male sex was fuelling the spread of HIV and
AIDS in Asia, where the epidemic could worsen amid a lack of services
to gays.
'Men who have sex with men have been identified as one of the most
at-risk populations for HIV/AIDS,' the Manila-based WHO Regional
Office for the Western Pacific said in a statement ahead of a meeting
in Hong Kong.
'Asia is believed to have the world's largest number of men having
sex with men, estimated at 10 million,' the office added.
WHO noted that a review in December 2007 of the HIV/AIDS situation
in Asia showed that in Cambodia and Vietnam, men who have sex with
men were more likely to contract the deadly virus compared with the
general population.
The risk of infection was also 45 times higher for men who have
sex with men in China.
'Studies show that at present, the proportion of HIV infections
being transmitted among men who have sex with men is larger and more
significant than what we originally believed,' said Massimo
Ghidinelli, WHO regional AIDS adviser.
'Action needs to be taken now if a major increase in HIV/AIDS
cases is to be averted,' he said. 'We need to target HIV-prevention
strategies, together with better access to health services, for men
who have sex with men.'
The latest UNAIDS report showed that targeted prevention
interventions are reaching 1 per cent of the gay population.
The report also showed that in most Asia-Pacific countries,
national strategic plans for HIV/AIDS do not cover interventions for
men having sex with men and transgender individuals.
WHO said the lack of access to HIV/AIDS services can be traced to
stigma and discrimination associated with homosexuality, which is
frowned upon in some societies in the region.
HIV/AIDS specialists from Asian governments and regional health
experts plan to meet in Hong Kong this week to address the crisis.
The conference was organized by the WHO Regional Office for the
Western Pacific, the United Nations Development Programme, UNAIDS and
the Hong Kong Department of Health.
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