Nearly five million people are living with HIV in Asia with 4,40,000 people dying each year. If the spread of the virus continues in the current rate, an additional eight million people will become affected by 2020,' according to a study on AIDS in Asia released in New York on Wednesday. The independent study identified that in Asia, the virus is mainly spread by "men who go for paid sex'. The number of such men is estimated to be around 75 million in Asia, and around 10 million women sell sex to these men. According to the report, if Asian countries fail to mount a proper response, they will have to incur huge losses. This will mean that almost eight million adults and children in Asia-Pacific will be newly affected between 2008 and 2020. The annual death toll will increase to almost 5,00,000 by 2020. But if Asian leaders implement a programme to contain the disease right away, the number of newly affected can be kept at three million. The death toll can be kept at less than 3,00,000 in 2020, saving the lives of more than 2,00,000 people each year. "By spending between half a dollar and one dollar per capita, depending on the prevalence rate in the country, 80 per cent coverage of HIV prevention, treatment, care and livelihood security programmes can be achieved,' the report has claimed. The report, "Redefining AIDS in Asia