SEVEN in 10 Singaporeans living with HIV/AIDS cannot afford basic treatment despite living in one of Asia's most affluent countries, local activists said Monday (Nov 26).

"Singapore is considered Third World as far as HIV is concerned," Action for Aids (AFA) honorary secretary Brenton Wong told reporters ahead of World Aids Day on Saturday.

More than 70 percent of Singaporeans living with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS, caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), cannot afford any form of antiretroviral treatment, and under ten percent are on optimum treatment, AFA said.

"People are always very shocked to find ... that the government does not even give any subsidies for any antiretrovirals when they know that it's such a rich country (with) the second highest reserves in the world," Wong said.

According to the Ministry of Health, 1547 Singaporeans, including 15 children, have so far been confirmed to be HIV-positive, with 367 suffering from full-blown AIDS, out of a local population of about 3.2 million people.

But AFA president Roy Chan said the actual figure was closer to 5000 while the United Nations AIDS programme estimates there are 12,000 people living with HIV in Singapore.

Chan said many people had not come forward for testing for fear of being stigmatised and losing their jobs.

With approximately 200 new infections a year, AFA said Singapore's per capita AIDS growth rate was higher than that of neighbours such as Japan, Hong Kong and China.

Chan, a doctor with the National Skin Centre, said a "cocktail" of imported AIDS drugs could prolong patients' lives for 10-15 years but would cost S$1200-$1500 dollars (US$666-$833) a month.

To cut costs, some patients are visiting Thailand for its cheaper drugs or skipping medication.

AIDS patient Elizabeth (not her real name) said she had skipped her treatment for a few months now for financial reasons.

She is single-handedly raising her four teenaged children on S$1200 dollars a month as her Malaysian husband was repatriated after also testing positive for AIDS three years ago. Foreigners with HIV or AIDS are sent home by law.

AFA, which spends S$60,000 dollars subsidising 20-30 patients a year, said it was appealing to the government to take a fresh look at the matter and pass legisation to protect the human rights and dignity of AIDS patients.

Wong said they were told by the government that subsidies were not economically viable, but they were hoping to convince the authorities to "rethink that policy and be more compassionate."

Southeast Asian leaders adopted earlier this month an ambitious four-year program to combat a regional HIV/AIDS epidemic and pressed for access to affordable drugs through bulk purchasing and joint negotiations.

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