The status and trends of HIV/AIDS epidemics in Asia and the Pacific

Approximately 5 million people in Asia and the Pacific are currently infected with HIV. In 2008, more than 400,000 people were newly infected with HIV and 300,000 people died of AIDS-related diseases in the region. The epidemic of HIV infection in Asia and the Pacific is now entering a second growth phase, which could push HIV prevalence to almost 10 million by 2020 if more expanded prevention efforts are not introduced. HIV transmission in Asia is driven primarily by three high-risk behaviors: unprotected commercial sex, injecting drug use and unprotected sex between men. Focusing interventions on population groups that are most-at-risk of getting infected are therefore needed in every country. Dynamic economic and social changes are underway in Asia and the Pacific, and high-quality research is needed to know what effects these could have on the evolution of HIV epidemics in the future.