A new independent regional study launched at the 8th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and Pacific has revealed an alarming trend of trafficking of girls and women and HIV infection in South Asia.
The study, commissioned by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), showed that South Asia accounts for more than half of the 300,000 to 450,000 people estimated to be trafficked in Asia each year.
Titled "Human Trafficking and HIV: Exploring Vulnerabilities and Responses in South Asia," the study has found that a large number of those at the risk of being trafficked in South Asia are young girls and women and they also run the risk of getting infected with HIV.
The highest reported incidence is in Nepal, Bangladesh and India, the study said.
According to the study, in Mumbai (of India) one quarter of the trafficked individuals tested positive for HIV while in Nepal, it was close to 40 percent.
The study in Nepal also showed that almost 60 percent girls under the age of 15 years trafficked into sex work were found to be HIV positive.
Weak governance makes the poor vulnerable to the risk of being trafficked. The absence of effective legislation and policies as well as poor law enforcement and corruption contribute to this.
However, national governments and other stakeholders are yet to give this issue the priority it deserves, mainly because of the shortage of convincing data, the study said.
The study explored the links between human trafficking, migration and HIV/AIDS in these countries and reviewed available data, the national laws, policies, strategies and responses.
To address human trafficking and HIV/AIDS the study recommends better coordination in national efforts to address both issues, which are often dealt separately, by focusing on factors such as gender inequalities and violence, social marginalization, poverty, and education.
The study was part of UNDP's three-year regional project on human trafficking and HIV in South Asia with financial support from the government of Japan under the UN Trust Fund on Human Security.
Source: Xinhua
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