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 U.N.-backed government estimates released in July 2007 calculated the figure at 2.47 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).

It is not yet clear in many Asian countries what role men who have sex with men play in the pandemic.

Estimated number in Asia living with HIV	4.9 million (UNAIDS, 2007)
Estimated number who died from AIDS related illnesses in 2006	302,000 (UNAIDS, 2007)
Number in India living with HIV in 2006	2.5 million (UNAIDS, 2007)
Number in India estimated with HIV in 2006	2.5 million (UNAIDS, 2007)
Asian countries where HIV prevalence is rising include:	Indonesia - especially Papua - and Vietnam (UNAIDS, 2007)