In Japan, stigma makes control of AIDS infection rates more difficult. 'I was diagnosed ten years ago and could not tell my family because I was so afraid of rejection. Ten years later, today, I do not see much change on this front. Japanese people shun HIV testing for fear of being socially ostracized,' says the founder of an AIDS awareness organization.

"By encouraging more people to feel confident of being socially accepted even after being diagnosed with HIV, it is possible to stop infection from spreading and bringing favorable results," said Delparine Rostom, of the voluntary group, Population Services based in the Philippines.

More than 3,000 participants -- including delegates, experts and non-governmental organizations -- have gathered for the five-day conference that kicked off Friday under the theme, "Bridging Science and Community."

A new report released at the conference by the joint United Nations program, UNAIDS revealed that the Asia-Pacific region faces an AIDS explosion with an estimated 12 million new infections within the next five years unless steps are taken immediately.

Dire Need for Funds

Speaking to press persons, Dr. Peter Piot, UNAIDS executive director, said despite the gloomy forecast there were solutions -- such as better political leadership, increased funding and improved coordination with grass-roots organizations.

"By facing realities, we can prevent new infections in the region by at least 6 million," Piot said.

Supporting the line of activists, the UNAIDS report pointed out the dire need for funds to be poured into looking into the special needs of high-risk groups, such as homosexuals, drug users and sex workers.

The UNAIDS release showed that HIV prevention programs only reached one in every five sex workers in South and Southeast Asia, only one in every 20 injecting drug users (IDUs) and just one of every 20 men who have sex with men.

"The statistics state the obvious. The vast majority of countries in the region are doing too little on AIDS overall and in particular on protecting and supporting those who are at the highest risk," said Piot.

Involving the Community

Soutchay Phenalavang from Laos, who is a counsellor with the Burnnet Institute, explained his work in villages has proven that prevention is most effective when the community is involved.

"Sex and drug use are intimate issues, which is why involving the community is crucial to fighting HIV," Phenalavang said.

For himself, Phenalavang begins his work by talking to village elders and visiting the homes of high-risk people. He also organizes local dramas, peer education and youth activities that focus on the AIDS epidemic. Laos has reported 1,200 HIV positive cases.

"The results of this prevention program [have] been successful," he said adding that more families were taking care of offspring infected with HIV, helping to ease the stigma and helping vulnerable groups to take prevention steps.

Taboo in Japan

Japan, where HIV rates have galloped -- 60 percent among gay men in spite of good health care and free testing -- is a case in point.

HIV positive Toshihiro Oishi, who started Second Coming-Out, a grass-roots organization that advocates better acceptance of AIDS, says his own experience is an example of how stigma makes the disease taboo in Japan and making control of infection rates more difficult.

"I was diagnosed ten years ago and could not tell my family because I was so afraid of rejection. Ten years later, today, I do not see much change on this front. Japanese people shun HIV testing for fear of being socially ostracized," he said.

In 2004, there were 450 newly reported HIV cases among Japanese men who had become infected through sex with other men.

Anupama Joshi, a social worker with Search Society in India, called for higher funding for grass-root workers who help the most vulnerable people, such as slum workers.

Based in Pune city, Joshi says caste, conservative values and poverty have marginalized poor people who do not have proper access to education or prevention methods in slums and cannot afford to visit hospitals.

"But our work shows that proper education does change the situation," she said, counting donation of condoms to high-risk groups like sex workers and truck drivers as examples.

Empowering communities can translate not only into prevention but also giving better care, both mental and physical, activists reported.

"Building the community is a way of creating a balance between the state and people. Political will is often weakened by commercial interests -- such as medicines being seen as the best solution to HIV prevention," an activist said.