VZCZCXRO8607
RR RUEHKSO
DE RUEHKO #2893/01 2910743
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 170743Z OCT 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8003
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 0425
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 8485
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 2778
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 4171
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 0998
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002893 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/J, OES/IHB AND S/GAC 
DEPT PASS TO NIH/NIAID WESTERN 
HHS FOR OGHA STEIGER AND ABDOO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO SOCI KHIV AMED KSCA JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN'S ANNUAL REPORT ON HIV/AIDS FOR 2007 
 
TOKYO 00002893  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  Japan reported a record 1,082 new HIV-positive cases 
and 418 new AIDS cases during 2007, bringing the cumulative totals 
to 9,426 and 4,468 respectively at the end of 2007.  As in previous 
years, Japanese males accounted for the majority of new HIV and AIDS 
cases in 2007 and sexual contact was reported as the primary route 
of infection.  Japanese prefectures outside the Tokyo area saw an 
increase in HIV/AIDS cases in 2007, but overall, the disease 
remained concentrated in the Tokyo area.  End summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
Report Urges Continued Measures to Combat HIV/AIDS 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶2.  In its Annual Report on the HIV/AIDS Epidemic for 2007, the 
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's (MHLW) AIDS Surveillance 
Committee again urged the government to expand opportunities for 
early stage HIV/AIDS testing and to promote active countermeasures 
to prevent further HIV infections in the homosexual population.  The 
Committee, consisting of nine medical researchers and one patient 
group representative, also urged local governments to take 
appropriate action to prevent HIV from spreading in their areas of 
responsibility and to better detect and provide medical treatment to 
HIV/AIDS patients in the earliest stages. 
 
--------------------------- 
HIV-positive Cases in 2007 
--------------------------- 
 
¶3.  According to the Annual Report, the number of HIV-positive cases 
has trended upward in Japan since 1996.  In 2007, a record 1,082 new 
HIV cases were reported, up 130 from the prior record of 952 new 
cases in 2006.  Japanese males accounted for 86 percent of the total 
number of cases reported.  Sexual contact accounted for 87.8 percent 
of new cases: 67.4 percent through homosexual and 20.4 percent 
through heterosexual intercourse.  Other routes of infection fell 
into the following categories: intravenous drug use (0.3 percent), 
unknown (9.6 percent), and other (2.3 percent).  No cases of 
mother-to-child HIV transmission were reported in 2007. 
 
------------------- 
AIDS Cases in 2007 
------------------- 
 
¶4.  In 2007, 418 new AIDS cases with fully developed symptoms were 
reported, up 12 from the 406 cases reported in 2006.  (Note: In the 
Annual Report data, new AIDS cases do not necessarily include 
previously reported HIV cases that subsequently developed AIDS, 
according to MHLW officials.  Since 1999, doctors have been required 
to report HIV and AIDS cases only at first diagnosis.  End Note.) 
Japanese males accounted for 82.1 percent of AIDS cases reported. 
Of this group, 74.0 percent of the AIDS cases were contracted via 
sexual contact, with 37.6 percent through homosexual contact and 
36.8 percent through heterosexual intercourse.  The remaining cases 
fell into the categories of: intravenous drug use (0.7 percent), 
unknown (17.9 percent) and other (6.9 percent).  No new AIDS cases 
resulting from mother-to-child transmission were reported in 2007. 
 
-------------------------- 
Infections by Area in 2007 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5.  Infections in the areas of Kanto and Koshinetsu, including Tokyo 
and the neighboring prefectures of Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, 
Chiba, Kanagawa, Niigata, Yamanashi, and Nagano, accounted for 54 
percent and 47 percent of the total numbers of the country's HIV and 
AIDS cases respectively in 2007.  The number of HIV cases in Tokyo 
has grown markedly since 1996, reaching 38.8 percent of Japan's 
total HIV cases in 2007.  However, the number of AIDS cases in Tokyo 
accounted for 21.5 percent, down 2.9 percentage points from 2006. 
The overall number of HIV/AIDS cases in other regions increased in 
¶2007. 
 
------------------------- 
Cumulative HIV/AIDS Cases 
------------------------- 
 
¶6.  Since the start of the national survey in 1984, a cumulative 
total of 9,426 HIV cases and 4,468 AIDS cases have been logged in 
Japan as of December 31, 2007.  However, not included in these 
statistics are the roughly 1,430 HIV and AIDS patients who 
contracted the virus in the 1980s through contaminated blood 
products for hemophilia patients.  Since 1999, MHLW has not required 
 
TOKYO 00002893  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
doctors to report AIDS deaths separately, according to MHLW 
officials.  The following are the cumulative percentages of HIV 
cases, listed by infection routes: 47.3 percent through homosexual 
contact, 34.1 percent through heterosexual contact, 0.5 percent 
through intravenous drug use, 0.3 percent through mother-to-child 
transmission, 2.2 percent through other routes and 15.6 percent 
through unknown routes.  AIDS cases also yielded similar figures: 
41.5 percent through heterosexual contact, 29.2 percent through 
homosexual contact, 0.8 percent through intravenous drug use, 0.4 
percent through mother-to-child transmission, 3.1 percent through 
other routes and 25.0 percent through unknown routes. 
 
¶7.  Among the cumulative HIV cases, Japanese males accounted for 
70.0 percent followed by non-Japanese females (13.5 percent), 
non-Japanese males (9.9 percent), and Japanese females (6.6 
percent).  Among the cumulative AIDS cases, Japanese males accounted 
for 73.1 percent followed by non-Japanese males (14.5 percent), 
non-Japanese females (7.0 percent), and Japanese females (5.4 
percent).  The number of Japanese female HIV/AIDS cases remained 
little changed from the year 2000 level. 
 
----------------------- 
Tokyo's Countermeasures 
----------------------- 
 
¶8.  In a briefing for ECONOFF following the release of the Annual 
Reoprt, Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) officials outlined 
various countermeasures they are taking against HIV/AIDS.  Tokyo 
accounted for 34 percent of HIV/AIDS cases reported in Japan in 
¶2007.  In order to stop the virus' spread, TMG prioritizes promoting 
HIV/AIDS tests and educational activities.  The TMG has expanded 
hours for HIV testing at local health centers and introduced a rapid 
test that allows same-day results.  The TMG also set up a center in 
a popular neighborhood where young people can learn about the risks 
of HIV/AIDS.  At the center, young volunteers run peer education 
activities such as workshops and exhibitions.  TMG officials said 
such efforts since 2002 have resulted in increased numbers of people 
seeking HIV tests.  In 2007, 28,936 people in Tokyo were tested for 
HIV, double the number in 2002, according to the TMG.  (Note: TMG 
officials said Tokyo's lower number of AIDS cases may be the result 
of better screening and treatment programs, however there have been 
no studies to confirm this.  End Note.)  The TMG has also exchanged 
information on HIV/AIDS with other Asian countries through the Asian 
Network of Major Cities 21 (ANMC21), established in 2000 to address 
common issues for Asian cities such as crisis management, 
environmental protection, and industrial development. 
 
SCHIEFFER