BANGKOK, July 11 (Xinhuanet)-- UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Sunday urged the all-level leadership from Asian-Pacific countries to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

    At the opening ceremony of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Meetingon HI/AIDS held here, Annan said from experience elsewhere, the spread of the AIDS can be turned back only when there is a coordinated response from all sectors of society and every branch of government.

    "It requires leadership at all levels, at every level," he added.

    Annan noted if left unchecked, AIDS will not only devastate millions of lives; it will also impose huge burdens on the region's health systems and soak up resources that are badly needed for social and economic development.

    In the Asia-Pacific region, eight million people are now living with AIDS, and the number is rising fast. Some areas have been battling the epidemic for well over a decade. But it has now reached almost every corner of the region.

    As representatives of your region's governments, the fight against HIV/AIDS "requires all your energy and imagination," said Annan.

    "It requires finding ways to reach out to all groups, and devising approaches for prevention and treatment that are suited to their needs -- whether young people, sex workers, injecting drug users, or men having sex with men," he stressed.

    As a prelude to the 10th International AIDS Conference, ministers from more than 30 countries attended the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Meeting Sunday morning. Enditem