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KATHMANDU, Tuesday (AFP) - South Asia is the second largest HIV/AIDS-affected region in the world and needs tough action to control the disease, United Nations officials said here Tuesday.

"South Asia is the second largest HIV/AIDS affected region in the world after South Africa, needing all government leaders, scholars and, in particular, the younger generation to take up strong measures to control it," Carol Bellamy, executive director of the UN Childrens' Fund (UNICEF) told a two-day conference aimed at boosting the fight against the disease in South Asia.

"It is not just a matter of health, HIV/AIDS control is a most important task which can be done only through proper educational campaigns," she said.

Five million of South Africa's 43 million citizens carry the HIV virus.

India officially has four million HIV-positive people, more than any country other than South Africa, and a US study last year predicted 20 million to 25 million Indians would be infected by 2010 unless more is done to prevent it.

Nepal is believed to have more than 60,000 people with AIDS or HIV but only 2,598 cases have been detected, including 250 deaths.

"The HIV/AIDS infection rate is very high (in South Asia)," said Peter Piot, head of the UN anti-AIDS programme.

Piot said immediate action could prevent at least five million new HIV infections by 2010 and prevent an epidemic in the South Asian region.

"A delay in prevention of further spread of HIV/AIDS will only aggravate the epidemic and reverse South Asia's expected economic and social progress," he said.

Two ministers from Afghanistan participated in the conference which ended Tuesday, along with top health officials from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Officials from Uganda and Thailand also attended the meeting to share their experience in preventing the disease. 

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