Responding to HIV/AIDS in the East Asia and Pacific Region: A Strategy Note for the World Bank 2003

With almost half the world’s population, Asia will determine the future of the global HIV/AIDS
pandemic. If prevalence rates in China, Indonesia, and India increase to numbers similar to those seen in Thailand and Cambodia, the rate of HIV/AIDS would double globally. Such growth would be
devastating for individuals—and for the region’s health systems, economies, and social fabric. HIV/AIDS is therefore a multisectoral development challenge and, consequently, a corporate priority for the World Bank.

This paper outlines a strategic direction for the World Bank in its multisectoral response to HIV/AIDS in the East Asian and Pacific region. It describes the risk of a large-scale HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region. It also spells out what can be done to avert the growth of HIV—and what government, civil society, and other partners are doing. And it identifies how the World Bank can assist at the country and regional levels. The World Bank will work with countries, civil society, the private sector, donors, and other key players to formulate country-specific strategies that try to respond to the needs of the population.