Beijing, Delhi need to do more to prevent AIDS: US health secretary

TOKYO: The Chinese and Indian governments need to do more to prevent AIDS as the epidemic’s spread in the populous nations could trigger social and economic disaster throughout Asia, the US health secretary said on Monday. “We need to get India and China much more focussed on the problems of AIDS within their countries,” US Department of Health and Human Services head Tommy Thompson told a conference on HIV/AIDS and communicable diseases in Asia. The HIV/AIDS problem in Africa would be considered “minimal” compared with India and China if those countries allow the disease to spread, he warned. In the wake of SARS and avian flu outbreaks, Thompson also said: “In today’s inter-connected global economy, the spread of disease can shake business confidence and disrupt entire regional economics.” —AFP

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