ASEAN, Switzerland to Pursue Closer Partnership and TiesJAKARTA, 1 December 2014 - After almost three decades since HIV and AIDS first appeared in this region, varied pattern of disease transmission is seen across different countries. Some countries are showing an increasing trend; remains stable in others, while a few countries have been successful in reducing the incidence of HIV. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that globally, by the end of 2013, 35 million people are living with HIV with 2.1 million people becoming infected with HIV in 2013 alone. WHO also estimates that globally by 2030, HIV will be the eighth leading cause of all deaths and the third leading cause of death due to communicable, maternal, perinatal and nutritionally related diseases and conditions. It is clear that HIV will continue to remain a concern in the coming years. For this reason, the financing and provision of HIV and AIDS treatment and services should remain a major policy and programmatic issue in the development agenda. Whilst severe natural disasters, economic volatility, high levels of debt, and slow growth pose constraints to many ASEAN countries to invest maximally in human development, the gap between people’s expectations and government budgetary allocations need to be closed. Domestic spending on HIV and AIDS among ASEAN countries is increasing.