Burma: the Cradle of AIDS in Asia

One of many tragedies caused by the continuing military regime in Burma is the country’s failed health care system. The military has neglected all areas of public welfare, including building and maintaining hospitals. According to United Nations statistics, the military regime spends 222% more on military spending than it does on health and education combined. The junta spends 2.7 percent of its budget on public health and 40 percent on arms. Burma ranks at the bottom of the list of health care systems in the world.

The regime forced the closure of all universities for an extended period of time, creating an inadequate supply of health care professionals. Medicines are in short supply, as are many modern medical devices. Moreover, the military has spent very little on health education programs.

This neglect has contributed significantly to serious outbreaks of malaria and other preventable diseases. Most disturbingly, according to the World Health Organization, as many as 500,000 people (or more than 10 percent of the population!) may already be HIV-positive in a spreading pandemic that shows no sign of slowing. UNAIDS suggests that up to 620,000 people may already be infected. Other studies show that the prevalence rate among sex workers is up to 60 percent.

The military regime has not taken measures to thwart the pandemic, either through public education, providing clean syringes, or ameliorating the trafficking of women into prostitution – the chief causes of the spread of HIV/Aids in the region. Nor has the regime allowed international aid agencies to engage in effective programs to combat the problem.

Molecular epidemiology has now proven that Burma is the prime source of the HIV/Aids epidemic in Asia. And while the member states of ASEAN dither around trying to decide whether to take a harder line against the brutal military regime that they admitted into their ranks, the US Council on Foreign Relations has concluded that, “"The Burmese HIV contribution to much of Asia poses a clear security threat to the region.” In other words, ASEAN’s failure to act is coming back to haunt them. Refugees, migrant workers, sex trafficking, and the drug trade ripples across the borders of Burma and spreads HIV/Aids, threatening the stability of the entire region. Just one more reason to take stricter action to overthrow the military regime and allow the democratically elected officials to finally take office.