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Biotech / Medical : Agouron Pharmaceuticals (AGPH) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: David S. who wrote (2548)	10/28/1997 11:19:00 PM
From: JOHN W.	Respond to of 6136

AIDS Poses Major Health And Economic Threat To Asia-Pacific Region WESTPORT, Oct 28 (Reuters) - The number of AIDS cases in the Asia-Pacific region may increase sixfold by the year 2000, World Health Organization officials reported at the 4th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, which is being held in Manila. In his opening address, Philippine President Fidel Ramos cautioned governments that "...it was time for the people of the Asia-Pacific to recognize the imminent danger of the AIDS challenge." The impact will also be economic, according to Dr. Pierre Piot, director of UNAIDS. Within a few years, the annual medical expenses and costs of loss of productivity in these countries will be in the billions, Dr. Piot said. For example, by 2005 Indonesia will be spending 33% of its healthcare budget on AIDS, he said. In 10 years, Cambodia will have 200,000 cases of AIDS, which will result in an annual loss of $2.8 billion. In recent years, Indochina, India, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet union have had the most rapid increase in HIV infections. Overall, Dr. Piot estimates that about 7 million Asians are HIV-positive, and 3 to 5 million of these cases are in India. These numbers are expected to double by the year 2000. AIDS phobia is contributing to the increase in HIV infections in Chinese communities, according to Dr. Michael L. Rekart of the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control in Vancouver, Canada. He pointed out that "AIDS phobia is rampant and our Chinese communities are often guided...by voodoo Chinese folkloreism." As many as one third of the new HIV infections worldwide are in China, he added, and the greatest increase is among young adults between the ages of 15 to 24.