Disaster inevitable for Asian Pacific MSM and Transgender people on current program and funding levels

Epidemiological data on HIV transmission released at the ICAAP Asia Pacific AIDS Conference in Bali, Indonesia shows the virus sweeping unchecked through the big cities of the region, with 200 men who have sex with men (MSM) a day becoming infected.

The conference has heard about a staggeringly high incidence of HIV infection, particularly amongst young men in Bangkok, Yangon (formerly Rangoon) and amongst transgender people in Indonesia. Nearly 30% of MSM men in Bangkok and Yangon are HIV positive and many other Asian cities have rates of 5-10% and growing rapidly.

AFAO Executive Director Don Baxter, who is also a Co-Chair of the Global Forum on MSM and HIV, described the situation in Bangkok and Yangon as disasters and the situation in all other major Asian cities as at crisis point.

“Every day of delay in responding to this accelerating health crisis results in another 200 men being infected with HIV in the region. Every year that we delay intervention another 73,000 new infections occur regionally.”

“The window for effective prevention is still open, but it is closing rapidly. Many Asian cities are approaching take-off point for the disaster that has already occurred in Bangkok and Yangon. Active intervention andinvestment put in place now will avoid exponential HIV treatments costs within 5 years.”

“The governments of Asia, along with the major donor countries, need to scale-up HIV prevention programs and investment dramatically to save lives.”

Mr Baxter called on AusAID to adjust its funding priorities immediately, noting that Australia’s current investment in Asia Pacific HIV prevention involved contributing more than $60 million over 5 years with injecting drug use, compared to less than $1 million for HIV prevention among gay and bisexual men.

“These figures are totally out of proportion to the epidemiological reality that confronts Asia and the Pacific. Male-to-male sex will contribute more than 50% of new infections in the Asia Pacific by 2020 unless AusAID acts quickly on its recent commendable scoping study and, along with other donors, invests in substantial programs immediately – before the window of opportunity slams shut,” Mr Baxter said.