Young Asians on Saturday discussed preventive measures against AIDS in Kobe on Saturday as part of a five-day international conference aimed at facilitating the prevention and treatment of the disease in the Asia-Pacific region.

The discussion at the seventh International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP), open Friday in the Japanese port city, was organized by participants mainly in their 20s who were aiming to establish an international forum on AIDS.

Five panelists, who are counselors or representatives of non-governmental organizations in India, Nepal, Indonesia and other countries, gave presentations.

Chin Mardy, 25, represents a non-profit organization that teaches preventive measures against AIDS in Cambodia.

Chin Mardy began the current work at age 19, believing that education is the key to the fight against AIDS.

Working with the Cambodian Education Ministry, Chin Mardy's NPO has introduced AIDS education in schools across the country with support from UNICEF. It has also organized classes for street children and those with truancy problems.

Chin Mardy said young educators do not have to deal with generational gaps when talking about AIDS with their peers, and can use sexual terms that parents do not normally use in front of their children.

About 3,000 people from 50 countries are participating in the Kobe conference, which was originally scheduled to be held in 2003 but was put off following the outbreak of SARS in Asia.

According to the latest report by the UN Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), there were 39.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide at the end of 2004, hitting record-high levels.

Asia had 8.2 million HIV-positive patients, up 1 million from the previous estimates at the end of 2002.

Source: Xinhua