Asia-Pacific governments must do more to stop spread of HIV, UN official says

The growing threat of HIV/AIDS in the Pacific will need comprehensive, concerted responses from governments, or risk a serious HIV epidemic, a United Nations expert on AIDS told a gathering of experts in New Zealand.

"We are at risk in the Pacific of a serious HIV epidemic," Asia-Pacific Regional Director for the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS, Prasada Rao told the audience of more than 300 delegates representing government, scientific and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the Pan Pacific Regional HIV/AIDS conference in Auckland.

"The question is not whether this will happen, but when this will happen," he predicted. 'Whether it does or not will depend on the decisions made now, not in ten years," he added, underlining that governments and donors must do more to shore up the inadequate resources for HIV prevention, treatment and care across the Pacific.

In Papua, New Guinea an estimate 1.7 per cent of the adult population or approximately 47,000 people are already infected with HIV, and the epidemic is on its way to spreading through the rest of the Pacific region, with potentially devastating results, Dr. Rao said.

"In small nations, we are talking about the very survival of peoples, cultures, languages," and security of the country, Dr. Rao said. "We need governments throughout the Pacific to make substantial commitments by investing now," he added.