He spoke at a meeting about the World AIDS Campaign 2001 during the Sunday session of the International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific. This year's theme is "I care...Do you?" and the campaign is intended to create a sustained focus on the role of men in the AIDS epidemic.

"This World AIDS campaign focuses on the role of men," said Peter Piot, Executive Director of UNAIDS, "For the simple truth and the simple reason that male behavior drives this epidemic."

According to Piot the campaign aims to challenge men's negative attitudes and beliefs but also to reinforce the positive aspects of male behavior. "We have to turn the positive factors into a weapon in this fight against AIDS," he said.

Viravaidya, Founder and Chairman of the Population and Community Development Association, is popularly known as Mr. Condom for his innovative grassroots work and his fierce support of making condoms readily accessible to everyone.

"We have to recognize that AIDS is not a medical problem," he said. "It is a societal problem, a behavioral problem, of which the medical side is a part. We are talking about prevention and because we are human we break rules, regulations, we get drunk--condoms have to be around."

A strong proponent of continued awareness campaigns, Viravaidya warned against becoming complacent about prevention. AIDS and sexual education must be provided in schools he said, because "Condoms are not for birth control, they're for death control."

The ICAAP is one of the first international meetings on AIDS to follow the June UN Special Session on AIDS. The Asia-Pacific region did not have a strong political presence or role in formulating resolutions at the session said Piot, but this Congress is highlighting the extent of the crisis.

"It was a breakthrough at the Special Session that issues that have to do with gender, homosexuality, sexual relations were actually discussed in a forum where usually the most diplomatic language predominates," he said.

"We're also kidding ourselves if we think Asia and the Pacific is in some way protected from HIV. There is no doubt that HIV/AIDS is spreading." The focus on men in the World AIDS Campaign does not exclude the need for women to be targeted in the fight against the pandemic.

"When we have consider male behavior and the norms in society it becomes clear that we have to focus on men in order to help women," said Piot. "There's no way that one can reduce women's vulnerability to HIV without addressing the role of men."

A recurring theme at the conference is the lack of empowerment of women in the region, especially married women who become infected by their husbands. As Piot said, men must be educated and taught how to protect themselves and their partners to help prevention.

At the end of the meeting Viravaidya handed out condom key-chains. "A condom is a girl's best friend," he said.