HANOI, Vietnam (AP) – The number of children orphaned by AIDS in the East Asia-Pacific region could grow from 450,000 to 1.7 million in less than a decade if resources aren’t increased for prevention and treatment, a UNICEF official said Friday.

Neff Walker, a UNICEF epidemiologist based in New York, also said the number of child deaths could reach nearly 20,000 a year during that time if more isn’t done to help children with the disease.

It would take up to $5.5 billion annually until 2015 to lessen the effects of HIV/AIDS on children in the region, in increasing to an estimated $6 billion a year after that, he said at the end of a three-day conference in Hanoi.

Delegates at the conference said children are too often the forgotten face of the disease and issued called to help young people affected by AIDS. Walker said there are an estimated 450,000 children in the region who have lost one or both parents to the disease, and that could grow to 1.7 million by 2015 without more funding.

Eighteen children from seven countries were among the 300 delegates from U.N. agencies, governments and non-governmental organizations at the conference – the first-ever regional forum on HIV/AIDS and children. They sat on panels and outlined the problems they face because the disease has touched some part of their lives.

“I think the strongest message that we take back from the young people … is that this is the time for action,” said Anupama Rao Singh, UNICEF regional director for East Asia and the Pacific. “They want more action and less talk.”

A document released at the end of the conference called for reducing the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV, boosting steps to prevent mother-to-child transmission, and enhancing care and protection for children. Other provisions included more pediatric HIV testing and greater access to anti-retroviral drugs for children.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic is growing faster in East Asia than anywhere else in the world. However, in many countries the epidemic is still largely concentrated in high-risk groups such as injecting drug users and prostitutes. Experts fear the virus will become more generalized if swift action isn’t taken.