Red Cross Urges Asia to Prevent AIDS Pandemic on an African Scale

Asia must seize on a "window of opportunity" to prevent the HIV/AIDS crisis from developing into a pandemic on the scale that has devastated Africa, according to officials from the Red Cross. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies announced Monday at the Fifth International Conference on Home and Community Care for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS that the number of people with HIV/AIDS is rising fast in Asia, expanding by nearly 140 percent between 1997 and 2001.

"All community-based organizations... must join forces to ensure that the pandemic is contained in Asia where almost half a million people have died this year out of an infected population of 7.1 million," said the federation's head of health and community care Dr. Alvaro Bermejo.

Stefan Seebacher, regional chief for the International Federation, told AFP that a draft strategy aimed at halting the spread of the disease was being deliberated. "This would strengthen the capacity to deliver care to families and communities, through Red Cross volunteers, and help with advocacy for access to drugs," Seebacher said.

According to Seebacher, Thailand's response to the epidemic has been very good and very swift. "In Asia, Thailand is on the forefront of HIV/AIDS response. In terms of people affected and need for care, it is one of the countries that is most relevant. It's a champion of AIDS response in Asia." However, other areas are behind, causing great concern. "In China the situation is now becoming very serious, especially in southern China and particularly Yunnan province, where we are talking about large numbers even if the percentage infection is quite low," Seebacher said.

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