Title 3--The President greater than two-percent prevalence affecting the general population. Pre- vious estimates by the World Health Organization, UNAIDS, and others had indicated an epidemic of less than two-percent prevalence limited to high- risk populations. CDC observed a limited national HIV/AIDS prevention program run by the government, but that some efforts are underway by non-governmental organizations. Voluntary HIV testing and counseling is extremely limited, and very few people know their HIV status. Programs to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV are small and limited and in need of strengthening at all levels. The government has made blood safe- ty a high priority, but quality control is questionable. Availability of care and treatment for those infected with HIV is very limited and trained staffs are few, while some non-governmental organizations provide some care services. The government generally denies the extent of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country, and their programs do not reflect the latest thinking of the sci- entific community on prevention, treatment, and care. However, like the NLD, the government is very interested in international assistance to com- bat the growth of the epidemic. CDC made a number of recommendations to strengthen and improve HIV/AIDS surveillance in the country and change policy and program implementation by the government to improve the effectiveness of the response to HIV/AIDS in the country. Policy rec- ommendations included initiating widespread voluntary HIV testing and counseling, including allowing international non-governmental organiza- tions to conduct testing and counseling. The CDC also recommended that national implementation by the government of a mother-to-child trans- mission prevention program be accelerated, that a national HIV/AIDS care program be developed, and that programs targeting high risk groups be strengthened and enhanced. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is in the process of providing $1 million to international non-governmental organizations operating HIV/AIDS prevention project in the country; none of these re- sources would be directed to the government. The Quality of Life in Burma The military government's management of the Burmese economy has been catastrophic. The government's ill-thought efforts to maintain discipline and control, and exclude foreign expertise and participation, have had pre- dictably disastrous results. Two problems stand out. In the energy sector, a run of disastrous public investment decisions has left the economy without fuel for either its elec- tric generating facilities or many of its basic industries. In January 2002, the nation's peak generating capacity was sufficient to meet only about two thirds of the nation's peak demand and since then the situation has deterio- rated further, with no prospect of relief until late 2003 or early 2004 at the very earliest. Until then, at least 30 to 40 percent of the nation's electricity customers will be without power at any given time. In the fiscal budget, the situation is even more desperate. There, a failed fiscal concept, in which the GOB attempted to run the entire government mostly on the basis of the profits of the state-owned enterprises, has left 324
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