Myanmar Hosts Regional Meeting on AIDS

The Ninth Meeting of Task Force of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on AIDS is being held in Myanmar to enhance strategies to fight HIV/AIDS in the region. The meeting will discuss information exchange and cooperation on AIDS among the member states and will work out a second plan on HIV/AIDS to be adopted in the future. The Myanmar Ministry of Health recognizes HIV/AIDS as one of the three priority communicable diseases -- malaria, HIV/AIDS, and TB.

UNAIDS has identified Myanmar along with Thailand and Cambodia as priority countries in the Southeast Asian region where urgent action is called for to prevent the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Myanmar has called on ASEAN member states to strengthen the ASEAN spirit and to work together in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

At the national level, Myanmar has instituted proactive measures against HIV/AIDS for a decade, forming a multi-sectoral National AIDS Committee in 1989. A master strategic plan for the upgraded and expanded response to HIV/AIDS infection was then also developed with the objectives of expanding program activities reaching all areas and population groups of the country.

According to the latest report of the World Health Organization, 3,817 AIDS cases were reported and 510,000 HIV infections were estimated in Myanmar as of December 2000 with 760 cases per 100,000 population.

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