The Technical Consultation on Health Sector Response to HIV/AIDS among Men who have sex with Men (MSM) opened here Wednesday.

Some 50 government officials responsible for HIV/AIDS programs on MSM and experts and representatives from non-governmental organizations from different countries and regions, as well as 30 local observers attended the consultation on Wednesday.

The three-day meeting was jointly organized by the Department of Health of the Hong Kong government, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Development Program and the Joint United Nations Programs on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Hong Kong Secretary for Food and Health York Chow, said that in view of global and domestic rising trends, HIV prevention among MSM was accorded high priority in the five-year HIV/AIDS strategy for Hong Kong from 2007 to 2011.

Chow said HIV cases among MSM had been rising rapidly in recent years. It constitutes the main route of transmission of some 30 percent of 300 to 400 reported HIV cases each year.

Chow noted that the Hong Kong government had all along adopted a multi-pronged approach in the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, including surveillance, prevention and health promotion, as well as treatment and care of people living with HIV.

"To fully engage the community, we have also set up an AIDS Trust Fund with 350 million HK dollars (US$44.8 million) dedicated to funding various public education projects, patient support services undertaken by NGOs and academia.

"Multi-partite partnership has been and will continue to be a key component of the AIDS program in Hong Kong," Chow said.

Official representatives participating in the meeting included those from Australia, Cambodia, Chinese mainland, Fiji, Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

(Xinhua News Agency February 19, 2009)