HIV/AIDS (East Asia) (Hansard, 19 March 2003)

§ Clare Short

Without sustained action in Asia, HIV/ AIDS will have significant social and economic costs. It is estimated that over seven million people in Asia are already infected with HIV, 20 per cent. of the global total. Although HIV came later to Asia, it has made substantial inroads in a short time.

The epidemic in Asia varies dramatically between and within countries. Cambodia and Burma have significant national epidemics. Others are seeing concentrated epidemics in the most vulnerable populations, such as injecting drug users and sex workers. While prevalence is still low even among these groups in other countries, action now will prevent the pattern seen elsewhere of low prevalence for a number of years followed by rapid increases.

The spread of HIV/AIDS in is an issue which is a top priority for DFID in the region. Relevant targets for HIV/AIDS have been included in our Public Service Agreement.

In the countries in which DFID has a programme, HIV/ AIDS is an issue that we continually raise in the context of policy discussions with governments about our development partnership. Our discussions cover a range of issues including priorities, targets and approaches. We have significant HIV/AIDS programmes in China, Cambodia, Burma and Vietnam. These are looking to strengthen national responses to HIV/AIDS through both targeted interventions for those groups most as risk, as well as improvements in the enabling environment for more effective action.

DFID does not have programmes in Japan, the Phillipines, Malaysia, North Korea or South Korea. Although we do have some discussions with the governments of some of these countries in the context of global financing instruments such as the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria.