Experts gather in Bali to adress HIV/AIDS in Asia, the Pacific

The ninth International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) kicked off Monday in Bali, Indonesia, bringing together health experts representing 65 nations to discuss ways to achieve universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment, Agence France-Presse reports (8/9).

"Two of the main talking points are expected to be how to reach the 75 percent of sufferers who are not receiving treatment, and how to stop the disease spreading among intravenous drug users," AFP/Asiaone.com reports. "The congress, which runs until Thursday, will also demand commitment from governments to tackle a disease that killed 380,000 people across Asia in 2007, [Congress Chairman Zubairi] Djoerban said," AFP/Asiaone.com writes (8/9).

Reuters reports that health experts addressed the need to connect women and children with HIV/AIDS treatments and also "called for repeal of outdated laws criminalizing prostitution and homosexuality so that people suffering from HIV/AIDS or at risk from the disease could get medical treatment," the news service writes.

The AAP/Sydney Morning Herald examines appeals by the Australian Federation of AIDS Organizations for federal funding for regional HIV/AIDS prevention programs (8/9).