Bangkok, 11 July 2004
Antonio Maria Costa
Executive Director, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Chairman, UNAIDS Committee of Cosponsoring Organisations
Mr Chairman, you Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen;
Several speakers this morning have emphasized the fact that HIV/AIDS is a cross-cutting issue. Indeed, the past two decades have shown that drugs, crime, the trafficking of human beings, even armed conflicts are important contributors to the AIDS pandemic.
Let us look at drugs addiction in the first place. Many addicts use contaminated needles and syringes, or have sex under intoxication. As a result, in several Asian countries more than 50%, even 80% of all injecting drug users in Asia live with HIV/AIDS. Conversely, more than two/thirds of new HIV cases are due to drug injection.
In many countries outside Asia the HIV/AIDS epidemic started with drug addicts and then it spread to the general population. Asia, with its population of 8 million drug injection users, faces this risk today. The epidemic can be stopped if drug users are provided with drug dependence treatment, and anti-retroviral therapy. Today, in Asia only five per cent, and in many high-risk areas less than one per cent of all drug users have access to prevention and care services. I urge you all to take adequate measures.
A second, serious problem is the spreading of HIV/AIDS in detention centres. Worldwide, at any given time, there are 10 million prison inmates with an annual turnover of 30 million, many of them being drug users. In many countries prisons are also HIV breeding ground because of overcrowding, homosexuality, violence, tattooing and the sharing of injecting equipment - the United Nations asks all countries to comply with internationally agreed standards and norms of prison management, because of the dignity of human beings under detention but also to avoid the spreading of the pandemic within, and beyond the detention walls.
The third area of concern is related to the growing problem of trafficking in persons, an evil trade mainly aimed at the sexual exploitation of women and children. There are several million slaves under such modern bondage, their number increasing by as much as 1 million per year. Their protection is our collective responsibility: they are human creatures like all of us, at an extremely high risk of HIV infection.
To conclude, Mr. Chairman, the spreading of HIV/AIDS among drug users, among prisoners and among trafficked people is a serious threat. The political, social and health environment need to address this threat or Asia will be robbed of its economic and developmental successes. UNODC and its partners will continue to assist you all in meeting the endeavour.
Thank you for your attention.