Asia has the second highest HIV/AIDS caseload after sub-Saharan Africa.

But overall figures are a little unclear after estimates for India were more than halved in 2007.

India was previously thought to have the world's highest caseload with 5.7 million infections.

But the United Nations has revised its estimate down to 2.5 million, putting India behind South Africa and Nigeria.

The spread of HIV in Asia has been fuelled in part by the sex industry, with intravenous drug use also a factor, says the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

Unprotected sex between men is a potentially significant but under-researched factor in the HIV pandemic in Asia, according to the 2008 UNAIDS report.

Estimated number in Asia living with HIV	4.9 million (UNAIDS, 2008)
Estimated number who died from AIDS related illnesses in 2007	380,000 (UNAIDS, 2008)
Number in India living with HIV in 2007	Around 2.5 million (UNAIDS, 2008)
Asian countries where HIV prevalence is rising include:	Indonesia - especially Papua, Vietnam and Pakistan (UNAIDS, 2008)