AIDS, like plagues throughout human history, has been blamed repeatedly on
foreigners. This has heightened ramifications, from the personal to the
geopolitical, in an era of escalating population movement and rapid international
travel. By the end of 1990, the World Health Organization had estimated that the
total number of AIDS cases worldwide was close to 1.3 million1. Recent
estimates suggest that by the year 2000, 38-100 million adults and over 10 million
children will have been infected with HIV2. Seventy-five to eighty-five
percent of that number will be from the developing world.
AIDS has rapidly become pandemic, with wide-ranging consequences for humankind. Human
population movement is an important component in the natural history of AIDS. With
respect to this, a central consideration is the relationship between AIDS and
international travel, especially tourism. In this paper, after reviewing HTV in the
Asia-Pacific region, we present the epidemiology of HIV in the Pacific Islands,
discuss its impact with particular reference to population movement, and explore
some of the specific challenges that the Pacific Island region faces.
1. World Health Organization.World Health Statistics
Annual.Geneva: World Health
Organization, 1990.
2.
2. South Pacific Commission.Pacific AIDS
AlertBulletin. No. 3.
Noumea: South Pacific
Commission, 1992.
3.
3. Personal Communication (Tim Brown).
4.
4. Fatawas and sensibility. In: Far
Eastern Economic ReviewFebruary 20,
1992:29–30.
5.
5. A fight on all fronts. In: Far
Eastern Economic ReviewFebruary 13,
1992:28–9.
6.
6. The Africa syndrome. In: Far Eastern
Economic ReviewFebruary 20,
1992:28–9.
7.
7. Zheng, XW.A preliminary study on the
behavior of 225 drug abusers and the risk factors of HIV infection in Rulii
County Yunnan Province. Chung Hua Liu Hsing Ping Hsueh
Tsa Ching (Chinese)1991;12(1):
12–14.
8.
8. Poppy eradication results in heroin, AIDS in Thai tribes. Honolulu Star
Bulletin February 13, 1992: A-16.
9.
9. Ford, Nicholasand Koetsawang
S.The socio-cultural context of the transmission of
HIV in Thailand. Soc Sci
Med1991;33(4):405–14.
10.
10. AIDS epidemic ready to explode in
Asia?Population HeadlinesFebruary
1988;155:1.
12. Larson, A.Social context of human
immunodeficiency virus transmission in Africa: Historical and cultural bases
of east and central African sexual relations. Rev
Infect
Dis1989;11(5):716–31.
13.
13. Piot P, Carael
M.Epidemiological and sociological aspects of HIV
infection in developing countries. Br Med
Bull1988;44:68–88.
14.
14. DeRoeck, D.AIDS and sexually
transmitted diseases in the Pacific Islands. In:
Fourth Regional Conference on Pacific Women, Suva,
Fiji, Sept. 17-23, South Pacific Commission, Women 4/WP 6, pp.
127–42.
15.
15. Hard drugs: The crisis now (cover story).
Pacific Islands Monthly, August 1991.
16.
16. Chanteau S, Sainte Marie F,
Chungue E, et al. A serological survey for
AIDS in a high-risk population in French Polynesia
(letter).Med J
Aust1986;145:113.
17.
17. First Confirmed AIDS Case. Fiji
TimesMarch 18, 1989.
18.
18. Currie B, Malau C,
Naraqi S, et al. Human immunodeficiency
virus infection in Papua New Guinea (letter).Med J
AustJanuary 18, 1988;
(148):100–1.
19.
19. Malau C, Currie B,
Mondia P, Pyakalyia
T.AIDS in Papua New Guinea: Heterosexual
transmission and some important local
considerations.Virus Information
Exchange1988; 6.
20.
20. Brindle RJ, Elgin R,
Parsons A, Hill A,
Selkon. HTLV-1, HIV-1, hepatitis B and
hepatitis delta in the Pacific and South-east Asia: A serological
survey.Epidemiol Infect1988;
100:153–6.
21.
21. Hardy D, Carlson
J.Absence of antibodies to HTLV-III on Bouganville
(Papua New Guinea) (letter).Med J
Aust1986;144:723.
22.
22. 64th, 65th AIDS Carriers in 4 years not worrisome situation, Health Dept.
says. Tahiti Sun Press August 19, 1989:10 & 15.
23.
23. Medium Term Plan for AIDS, Report. Government of Tonga 1989.
24.
24. Mann, J. Speech to the United Nations General Assembly, October 20,
1987.
25.
25. Panos. AIDS and the Third
World.London: Panos
Institute, 1989.
26.
26. Cohen, E.Tourism and AIDS in
Thailand. Annals Tourism
Research1988;15:467–86.
27.
27. Tourism first. Aids victims second.
Atlanta ConstitutionJune 23, 1988.
28.
28. Sex, tourism and STD.Pacific Islands
MonthlyJanuary
1990:53.
29.
29. Britton S, Clark
W, editors. Ambiguous Alternative: Tourism in Small Developing
Countries.Suva: University of
the South Pacific, 1987.
30.
30. Ikeda G, Collison F, Cain
C, Lucas R, Uyeno
R.Pacific Islands Tourism Case
Studies.University of Hawaii, School of Travel
Industry Management, East-West Center, Pacific Islands Development
Program, 1990.
31.
31. Chinn J.HIV and international travel.
In: Flemming A, Carballo M,
FitzSimons D, Bailey
M, Mann J, editors. The Global
Impact of AIDS.New York: Alan
Liss,
1988:61–5.
32.
32. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS):
Consultation on international travel and human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV). WHO weekly
Epidemiological
Record1987;62:77–8.
33.
33. Sittirai W, Brown T,
Stims J.“Opportunities for
overcoming the continuing resistance to behavior change and HIV risk
reduction.AIDS1990;90(4)
Supplement 1:
S269–S276.
34.
34. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Hawaii report and
recommendations of the governor's committee on
AIDS.Honolulu, Hawaii:
Governor's Committee on AIDS,
1988.
35.
35. Bishop of Tonga Decries Condoms as Lethal
Rubbish. Honolulu Star BulletinNovember 5,
1990.
37. AIDS in the South Pacific. South Pacific Commission Information Circular
No. 114, June 1988.
38.
38. Marshall Islands Women's Health
Survey.Noumea, New Caledonia:
South Pacific Commission,
1985.
39.
39. Gyaneshwar, Nsanze RH,
Singh K, Pillay S, Seruvatu
I.The prevalence of sexually transmitted disease
agents in pregnant women in Suva. Aust N Z J Obstet
Gynaecol1987;
27(3):213–5.
40.
40. Nelkin D.AIDS and the Social
Sciences: Review of Useful Knowledge and Research Needs.
Rev Infect
Dis1987;9(5):980–6.
41.
41. Herdt G.Ritual Homosexuality in
Melanesia.Berkeley: UC
Press, 1984.
42.
42. Langendorfer A, Davenport
W.London T, Blumberg B, Mazzur S. Sex-related
difference in transmission of hepatitis B infection in a Melanesian
population. Am J Phys
Anthropol1984;64(3):243–54.
43.
43. PNG looks to Combat AIDS. The Age
(Melbourne)August 12,
1988:8.
44.
44. Pataki-Schweizer KJ, Tabua
T.Psychosomatics of venereal disease: towards a
programme for the 1980′s. P N G Med
J1980;23(1):46–50.
45.
45. Lombange C.Trends in sexually
transmitted disease incidence in Papua New Guinea.P N G
Med J1984; 27(3-4):
145–7.
46.
46. Campbell C.Women and
AIDS. Soc Sci
Med1990;30(4):407–15.
47.
47. de Bruyn M.Women and AIDS in
developing countries. Soc Sci
Med1992;34(3):249–62.
48.
48. The reality and threat of
AIDS.Women's
News1989;4(4):2–5.
49.
49. Courte H. Cited in Pacific Aids Alert Bulletin (South Pacific Commission,
Noumea, New Caledonia), October-December 1991;2:9.
50.
50. Carswell JW.Impact of AIDS in the
developing world. Brit Med
Bull1988;44(1):183–202.
51.
51. Villagomez J.AIDS in the
Pacific. Asia Pac J Public Health1988;
2(4):221–3.
52.
52. Report of the task force on AIDS. Government of the Marshall Islands,
August 22, 1988.
53.
53. Ahlberg D, Levin M.The
Northeast Passage: A Study of Pacific Island Migration to American Samoa and the
US, Pacific Research Monograph 23.
Canberra: Australian National
University, Research School of Pacific Studies,
1990.
54.
54. Oceania. World AIDSMay
1990:9.
55.
55. NCIH Convenes PVO Workgroup on AIDS. International Health News
1988;9(9).
56.
56. Shark Tactics in the Pacific. World
AidsMay 1989:3.
57.
57. AIDS Alert Bulletin.South Pacific
Commission, May
1991;1.
58.
58. Karel S, Robey
B.AIDS in Asia and the
Pacific.Asian and Pacific Population
Forum1988;2(1-2):1–4,
18-29.
59.
59. Merson M.Address. International
Conference on AIDS, Canberra,
1990.
