World AIDS Day Marked With Parades and Stark Warnings

Today, as new UN data painted a grim portrait of the global AIDS epidemic, activists joined religious, social and national leaders worldwide to observe World AIDS Day.

On Tuesday, UNAIDS head Peter Piot warned that the potential scenario of tens of millions of new infections in China, India and Russia could destabilize the global economy. "There is something new and ominous in the course of this epidemic," said Piot.

China's Premier Wen Jiabao acknowledged that the world's most populous country faces a "stark situation" in fighting AIDS and asked for "unremitting efforts" in that struggle. In India -- which has the world's second-largest population of HIV-infected people -- schoolchildren, health workers and recovering drug addicts carried AIDS awareness messages during their march. "We need to put hearts and souls together to combat the deadly scourge of AIDS," said Assam Health Minister Bhumidhar Barman.

In Bangladesh, more than 5,000 people including sex workers and nongovernmental organization staff joined a parade that began at Parliament. A procession including film stars and students in Bangkok brought together 1,000 people. The Thailand Red Cross Society planned a candle-lighting ceremony.

Taiwan officials, who earlier reported the HIV infection rate for women had increased, today announced a series of HIV/AIDS awareness promotions targeting women.

A joint TNS/Gallup market-research survey recently found little more than one in 10 people in the East and Southeast Asia believed HIV/AIDS is a major concern in their country.

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