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The “silent epidemic” of viral hepatitis affects a large part of the world’s population without due attention from the health sector. Now, however, co-infection with HIV and viral hepatitis is increasingly recognized as a considerable public health problem. It is estimated that 240 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis B (HBV) and 170 million are chronically infected with hepatitis C (HCV). These numbers far exceed the number of people living with HIV, estimated at 34 million.

The aim of this update is to provide information and guidance to countries on how best to use tenofovir (TDF) for the treatment of children with HIV. It is intended to complement the World Health Organization (WHO) normative guidelines on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and also support the goal of increasing access to simpler paediatric antiretroviral (ARV) formulations, in line with Treatment 2.0.

This document is a discussion paper, prepared for the 2012 InternationalAIDS Conference in Washington DC, United States of America. It highlights key issues that confront the global community, policy-makers and national programme planners as they seek to make optimal use of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) as part of the broader response to HIV. It also discusses how ARVs could contribute to eventually ending the HIV epidemic. The paper does not in itself constitute a World Health Organization (WHO) guidance document, even though it summarizes existing WHO guidelines related to ARV use, highlights progress in the Treatment 2.0 initiative, and summarizes the next steps in WHO’s normative work related to ARV use.

People reach HIV treatment, care, and the full range of prevention options through the gateway of HIV testing and counselling (HTC). Currently, most people with HIV do not know that they are infected;those who do know often test late; and poor linkages from HTC to care mean that may people start antiretroviral therapy (ART) when they are already significantly immunocompromised, resulting in poor health outcomes and ongoing transmission. A successful public health response to HIV requires robust HTC services. At the same time, HTC requires successful linkages to HIV care and treatment. The value of HTC depends on linking people to services that are acceptable, accessible, and effective.

Presentation on Progress, Challenges and the Way Forward in ASEAN Member States by Bob Verbruggen, UNAIDS RST AP at ASEAN Multi-Sectoral Workshop on MDGs during July 30-31 2012 in Yangon, Myanmar

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HIV/AIDS has been identified as a sexual transmitted disease due to unprotected sex. In addition to HIV/AIDS, there are other diseases such as Syphilis, Gonorrhea and Herpes etc. At present, implementation of laws in respect of commercial sex and morality is not an easy task to Police because on one hand we should consider the measures that have been introduced to prevent spreading HIV and on the other hand we should respect the rights of wrong doers.

In the context of important emerging evidence related to two biobehavioral prevention interventions[treatment as prevention (TasP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)], the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC), in partnership with the British HIV Association (BHIVA), hosted an evidence summit 11-12 June 2012 in London to discuss the current state of TasP and PrEP science and to provide a platform for consensus-building around whether and how these novel prevention strategies might be introduced globally. Health care providers, researchers, policy makers, people living with HIV/AIDS, and representatives of government authorities, donor agencies, pharmaceutical companies, advocacy organizations, and professional associations attended from 52 countries around the world.