KOBE — Unlike the situation in Africa, Asia's AIDS crisis has yet to grab the attention of Irish pop singers, Hollywood celebrities or leaders of the richest nations.

But as the 7th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific in Kobe showed, Asia is just as vulnerable to the epic pandemic.

In politics, timing is often key, and many conferees were split on what ICAAP's timing meant for raising the profile of the crisis in Asia.