south and south east asia

introduction

Over 6.5 million people are living with AIDS in the region, according to UNAIDS. Of this number, a majority of the infected reside in India, making this one of the most ravaged countries worldwide. Despite this high concentration, high- risk behaviors and rates of infection are rapidly rising across the region.

In India alone, around 5.1 million people are infected with HIV. Although the rate in the population at large is still low, in absolute numbers, due to its large population, India has one of the largest HIV-positive populations in the world, second only to South Africa. Despite the low infection percentage in the country, the epidemic has already advanced into the generalized state (prevalence rate of higher than 1 percent among women attending ante-natal clinics in 2001) in seven of India's 28 states.

Other countries in the region, such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal, are characterized by a low prevalence among the general population, but have significantly higher rates among subpopulations often engaging in high-risk practices, such as injecting drugs with contaminated needles and engaging in the selling and buying of sex. Furthermore, the size of subpopulations engaged in high-risk behaviors is extensive, increasing the threat of a rapid spread of infection.

These though, are only a sampling of the myriad of reasons for the extensive damage AIDS has wrought on the region holistically. Substantial problems, currently, include:

A general population of which 35% lives below the established poverty line
Poor literacy levels
Rural to urban and intrastate migration amongst males
Trafficking of young women and girls into prostitution, thus possibly exposing the virus to them, or those that employ their services
An extremely stigmatizing society that displays harsh hostility towards those bearing the disease.
Male unwillingness to cooperate with condom usage programs
A continued social hierarchy in which women are considered as inferiors to males. This leads to women's inability to negotiate for safe, protected sexual intercourse in any situation.

Only through active labors to rectify these problems can change be induced. Unless this region sees drastic changes through intraregional and international efforts, millions more will continue to perish, providing for an explosion in the number of deaths.

analysis:introduction