There is no large-scale AIDS epidemic yet, but given the size of China's population and signs of increasing risk behaviour the potential threat is enormous.
In the first phase of the epidemic, the majority of reported cases of HIV infection was among foreigners or overseas Chinese. In the second phase, the majority were among drug users, and in the third phase, HIV infections by sexual contact increased. [i]

In Yunnan Province, women are becoming increasingly infected as evidenced by a shift of the male to female ratio from 4:1 in 1997 to 3:1 in 1998.

UNAIDS

Myanmar

The Ministry of Health has confirmed about 26,000 cases of HIV since 1988. UNAIDS/WHO Surveillance estimates 530,000 persons may be infected; nearly a third are women (180,000). Although such figures are only estimates and are not endorsed by the Government, Myanmar's prevalence is considered to be close to that of Thailand and Cambodia, which are the highest in Asia.[ii]

HIV prevalence among female sex workers tested in Mandalay increased from a median of 4 % in 1992 to 57 % in 1999 according to sentinel surveillance figures. [iii]
In the border town of Takhileik, surveillance results for HIV prevalence in pregnant women consistently average 8%.[iv]

"We must start the monitoring system, and we must do it with our own limited resources….first we need to start with centres in the cities, and then on to towns on the borders."

Secretary-1 Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt
Myanmar Times 15 Jan 2001

[i] UNAIDS fact sheet/China, 2000

[ii] United Nations in Myanmar, Sept 2000

[iii] UNAIDS/WHO surveillance figures, Sept 2000

[iv] UNAIDS/WHO surveillance figures, Sept 2000

date: 25May2001

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