UN Urges Southeast Asian Leaders to Boost Efforts to Combat HIV/AIDS

The UN today called on the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to do more to fight HIV/AIDS in the region. "We need strong political leadership," said J.V.R. Prasada Rao, regional director for UNAIDS in Asia-Pacific. "This is not just a passing storm; it is a threat to development and security." ASEAN leaders are holding a special AIDS session during their summit Saturday in Cebu, the Philippines. Rao said a UNAIDS report to be presented at that meeting calls for "very strong and direct funding" for prevention programs that target sex workers, injecting drug users and men who have sex with men. "Investment in this sector will yield the highest return," he said, adding that governments must "mobilize long and sustainable financial resources [to make] medicines available at affordable costs."

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