HIV Prevalence in the Asia Pacific Region: An Ecological Approach to Inequalities

Miguel E. Reina Ortiz, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and University of South Florida
Vinita Sharma, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI)

According to UNAIDS (2010), SouthEast Asia countries hold the second largest world population of PLWH. Despite country data are collected regularly, analytical comparisons for Asia-Pacific region (APR) are scarce. We present an ecological approach to HIV/AIDS and its predictors in APR. Development and socioeconomic data for South-Asian, South East-Asian, East-Asian and Pacific countries were obtained from the World Bank data catalog (2009). Unemployment was significantly associated with HIV prevalence in the APR after controlling for confounders. Evidence for association with percentage of rural population, external health resources, telephones and women seats in the parliament was weaker (p 0.05 – 0.1). Concentration index was -0.28. Our data suggest that unemployment is an important predictor of HIV prevalence in APR and that other important structural factors might be related. Finally, although not associated with GNI, HIV prevalence showed a negative concentration index indicative of inequalities being present in the region.