But since then its effect has been explosive. Hardest hit have been India, Thailand, Burma and Cambodia. Isolated under an authoritarian regime, Burma is the least known or understood of these countries. But from what is known it's clear that HIV has already spread extensively and that the situation is deteriorating very rapidly. Education, prevention and care programs are woefully inadequate.
Medical supplies are short and their distribution uneven.
Blood transfusion is especially unsafe in rural areas. Condoms were illegal in Burma until 1992 and are still scarce and expensive. When the military government of General Ne Win initiated the first HIV-screening programs in 1985 no cases were detected. Although traditionally most of the raw heroin produced in the country is exported, a domestic market for heroin has emerged in recent years and become quite widespread. Rangoon, Mandalay and other major towns and cities now have large numbers of intravenous drug-users.