Myanmar: Summary Country Profile for HIV/AIDS Treatment Scale up

With national estimated prevalence of between 0.6% and 2.2%, Myanmar is experiencing a generalized epidemic, considered one of the most serious in Asia. The Ministry of Health estimates that 338,911 adults aged 15–49 years old were living with HIV/AIDS in September 2004, of which 96,834 (28.6%) were women, indicating a total adult prevalence rate of 1.3%. HIV infection rates vary across the country, with several regions showing considerable increases in prevalence rates among less vulnerable populations. According to the Ministry of Health, in 2003, 12 of 29 sentinel sites for pregnant women showed a prevalence of HIV infection exceeding 2%. At Pyay and Hpa-an, prevalence rates among pregnant women were as high as 5% and 7.5% respectively.