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Mizzima: Burma is closed to Cambodi



Burma is closed to Cambodia in HIV Epidemic

By Mizzima News Group

New Delhi, 6 March 2000 ? Men can change the course of the AIDS
epidemic, according to a report released here today by the Joint United
Nations Programme on HIV/ AIDS (UNAIDS) for the launch of the year 2000
World AIDS Campaign. The new Campaign aims to involve men more fully in
the effort against AIDS and to bring about a new, much-needed, focus on
men in national responses to the epidemic.

All over the world, women find themselves at special risk of HIV
infection because of their lack of power to determine where, when and
how sex takes place. What is less recognised, however, is that the
cultural beliefs and expectations that make this the case also heighten
men's own vulnerability. HIV infections and AIDS deaths in men outnumber
those in women on every continent except sub-Saharan Africa. Young men
are more at risk than older ones; about one in four people with HIV is a
young man under the age of 25.

"The time is ripe to start seeing men not as some kind of problem, but
as part of the solution", said Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS.
"Working with men to change some of their attitudes and behaviours has
enormous potential to slow down the epidemic and to improve the lives of
men themselves, their families and their partners."

According to UNAIDS statistics, at end 1999, 33.6 million men, women and
children were living with HIV or AIDS, and16.3 million had already died
form the disease. In 1999, there were 5.6 million new infections
worldwide, of which 3.8 million were in sub-Saharan Africa, and 1.3
million in South and Southeast Asia.

The campaign which was formally launched in New Delhi this morning was
addressed by UNAIDS executive Director Dr. Peter Piot, President of
Malaysian AIDS Council Ms. Marina Mahathir and India's Member of
Parliament and film star Mr. Vinod Khanna. India's Health Minister Mr.
N.T. Shanmugam also addressed the gathering as Chief Guest.

"Infection rates in Myanmar (Burma) is so bad that if it is not the
worst HIV epidemic in Asia, it is closed to Cambodia in which Asia's
highest levels of infection are recorded", said Dr. Peter Piot in the
press conference after launching the World's AIDS Campaign.

"The problem of injecting drug users is more pronged in Northeastern
States of India, which are bordering with Burma, mainly because of
infiltrating drug trafficking taking place from Burma." said Mr. Prasada
Rao, Project Director, National AIDS Control Organisation. "Up to 60% -
70% of HIV-positives are used to be found among injecting drug users in
Manipur State of India," Mr. Rao added.