East Asia, South Asia

    East Asia

China

China’s first AIDS case was reported in Beijing in 1985. Today, an estimated 700,000 people in China are living with HIV (0.1% of the adult population), but it’s feared that this number will increase dramatically in future years, as HIV spreads from the groups most at risk to the general population.¹ The most frequent modes of HIV transmission have been injecting drug use in southern and western China and unsafe practices among paid blood donors. Heterosexually transmitted HIV is occurring primarily in the eastern provinces of China, fuelled by an increasing commercial sex trade and by the large number of migrants moving to these provinces in search of labour. HIV has been identified in some urban areas among men who have sex with men but this population is stigmatized and is difficult to survey.
In 2007 an estimated 39,000 people died from AIDS in China.²

Japan

In 2007, around 9,600 adults and children were living with HIV in Japan.³ Data released by the Japanese government in February 2007 showed that annual numbers of new HIV infections and AIDS cases had risen to an all time high in 2006, to 914 and 390 people respectively.⁴ The most prominent rise occurred among MSM, who account for around 60% of annually reported HIV infections in Japan.⁵

           South Asia

                         

Afghanistan

There have only been a small number of cases of HIV in Afghanistan, in contrast to the relatively large numbers recorded in neighbouring nations such as Pakistan. Nonetheless HIV and AIDS are growing problems. Conditions are in place for an epidemic to develop, including high numbers of displaced people, high levels of illiteracy, low social status of women, and a shortage of health facilities. Afghanistan is one of the world’s leading producers of opium, and the availability of drugs could lead to increased levels of injecting drug use. A 2006 study found that around one third of IDUs in the capital city of Kabul had shared contaminated injecting equipment, and that 4% were infected with HIV.⁶

Bangladesh

The first HIV/AIDS case in Bangladesh was reported in 1989. Since 1994, HIV infection levels have increased, although the problem is still relatively small scale, with around 12,000 adults – 0.2% of the total population – infected.⁷ It is nonetheless predicted that Bangladesh may gradually be heading towards an epidemic, unless a greater response is developed. At the moment HIV is mainly confined to groups such as IDUs, migrant workers and MSM, and it is reported that this focus on risk groups has led to a lack of urgency among policy makers in dealing with the problem.⁸

India

The launch of a mobile HIV testing unit in India

India is experiencing a diverse HIV epidemic that affects states in different ways, and to different extents. The groups most affected include injecting drug users, sex workers, truck drivers, migrant workers, and men who have sex with men. Some have predicted that India will soon be experiencing a ‘generalised’ epidemic, where the HIV prevalence rate – currently 0.3% in India⁹ ­­– rises above 1%. Others have played down current estimates of the numbers infected, and have argued that, because HIV transmission in India still largely occurs among risk groups, it is unlikely that HIV will spread widely among the general population.¹⁰ Regardless of the future path of India’s epidemic, it is undeniable that AIDS is having a devastating impact, and that there are still many major issues – including stigma and poor availability of AIDS treatment – that urgently need to be addressed.

Nepal

An estimated 70,000 people are living with HIV and AIDS in Nepal, which equates to an adult prevalence of 0.5%.¹¹ HIV is primarily transmitted through injecting drug use and unprotected sex. Seasonal labour migration is an important source of income for many Nepalese, but it is associated with a higher risk of HIV infection. Around 41% of all HIV cases in Nepal are among seasonal labour migrants, 16% are clients of sex workers and 21% are partners or wives of HIV positive men.¹² The Nepalese government have responded to the epidemic despite political instability; in 2009 Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal said the government would increase resources and actions for preventing, treating and controlling the country's epidemic.¹³

Pakistan

Pakistan’s first reported case of HIV occurred in 1987. Until the late 1990s, most subsequent cases occurred in men who had become infected while living or working abroad. The most at risk populations in Pakistan include injecting drug users, sex workers and prisoners.¹⁴ Despite a low overall HIV prevalence (0.1%), social and economic conditions in Pakistan – including poverty, low levels of education, and high levels of risk behaviour among IDUs and sex workers – are likely to facilitate the spread of HIV in coming years.¹⁵ HIV prevalence among IDUs has already significantly increased - from 10.8 percent in 2005 to 21 percent in 2008.¹⁶

Sources:

1. UNAIDS (2008) ‘Report on the global AIDS epidemic’
2. UNAIDS (2008) ‘Report on the global AIDS epidemic’
3. UNAIDS (2008) ‘Report on the global AIDS epidemic’
4. Kyodo news (2007, February 7th), ‘Japan reports record new HIV infections, AIDS patients in 2006’
5. UNGASS (2007) 'Country progress report: Japan'
6. Todd S. (2006) ‘Prevalence of HIV, viral hepatitis, syphilis and risk behaviors among Injection drug users in Kabul, Afghanistan’, Abstract TUAC0304, XVI International AIDS Conference, 13-18th August, Toronto
7. UNAIDS (2008) ‘Report on the global AIDS epidemic’
8. UNAIDS (2008) ‘Report on the global AIDS epidemic’
9. UNAIDS (2008) ‘Report on the global AIDS epidemic’
10. New York Times (2007, June 8th), ‘India, said to play down AIDS, has many fewer with virus than thought, study finds’
11. UNAIDS (2008) ‘Report on the global AIDS epidemic’
12. UNGASS (2008) 'Country progress report: Nepal'
13. China View (2009, 27th August) 'Nepali gov't to upgrade AIDS preventive measures'
14. UNGASS (2007) 'Country progress report: Pakistan'
15. UNAIDS (2008) ‘Report on the global AIDS epidemic’
16. UNAIDS (2010, 5th February) 'Lack of resources could undermine gains made in the HIV response in Pakistan'