Publications

Social media are not only a means for men who have sex with men (MSM) to find friends and sexual partners. They are also an important driver of the sexual norms that influence HIV risk among these men. The USAID- and PEPFAR-funded LINKAGES Thailand project is targeting these norms through an innovative web series, Gay OK Bangkok, which drew more than 60,000 viewers in March with a soapy story of love, trust, and HIV. Gay OK Bangkok was developed and launched by the Asia-Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health  APCOM), a LINKAGES Thailand implementing partner, as part of their ongoing TestBKK campaign, which seeks to generate demand for MSM-friendly HIV testing services in Bangkok and around Thailand. The five-part web series, which was modeled on a popular Thai teenage television drama, Hormones, focuses on the relationship trials and tribulations of a group of young, gay men living in Bangkok. It weaves a number of health issues into its storylines, including HIV testing, treatment, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

The global response in the last 15 years has recorded unparalleled progress in its fight against HIV/AIDS. Since 2000, new infections in adults and children have declined 35%, death from HIV-related causes has declined 24%, almost 16 million people living with HIV are now on ART, and the global response has averted 30 million new HIV infections and 7.8 million AIDS-related deaths. However, despite these achievements, significant challenges remain. An ambitious goal of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 has been set by the international community and rapid progress is required in the coming years to render such a goal feasible. In the next five years, three fast-track targets have been established to enable reaching such goal: 1) 90% of PLHIV know their status by 2020; 2) 90% of people diagnosed with HIV receive ART by 2020; and 3) 90% of the people receiving treatment achieve viral suppression by 2020. It is estimated that meeting these “90-90-90 fast-track targets” will avert 28 million HIV infections and 21 million AIDS-related deaths by 2030. In order to reach these targets, it is imperative to scale-up access to innovative cost-effective tools for HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and monitoring.

This preliminary report presents provisional results on the availability and preparedness of health facilities to provide maternal and child health, family planning, and other services based on information collected from the different types of health facilities. This information will help health program managers and policy makers prioritize interventions that will enhance the provision of quality health services. A comprehensive report on the survey findings will be published later in 2016. The data in the final report are not expected to differ substantially from the findings presented in this preliminary report; however, the results presented here should be regarded as provisional and may be subject to change.

The enactment and enforcement of HIV-specific criminal laws – or even the threat of their enforcement – fuels the fires of stigma. It reinforces the idea that HIV is shameful, that it is a disgraceful contamination. And by reinforcing stigma, HIV criminalisation makes it more difficult for those at risk of HIV to access testing and prevention. It also makes it more difficult for those living with the virus to talk openly about it, and to be tested, treated and supported. The Advancing HIV Justice reports show how far we have come. This second iteration of these important progress reports documents how the movement against these laws and prosecutions – burgeoning just a decade ago – is gaining strength. It is achieving some heartening outcomes. Laws have been repealed, modernised or struck down across the globe – from Australia to the United States, Kenya to Switzerland.

The AIDS Surveillance Committee holds quarterly meeting to compile the annual report on the trends of new reported cases of HIV infection and AIDS in Japan based on anonymous reports from all prefectures. Physicians who diagnosed HIV infection (without AIDS symptoms) or AIDS are obliged to submit a case report to the prefectural government. The case report includes the result of HIV testing, major symptoms and diagnosis, gender, age, nationality, residential area, possible transmission route including place, and the date of diagnosis.

The Global TB Programme of WHO in collaboration with the Republic of Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and International Tuberculosis Research Center organized a global consultation on the management of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) that was held during April 27–28, 2016, in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The objective of the meeting was to present and discuss challenges to, opportunities for, and best practices on the programmatic management of LTBI, and to consider recommendations to facilitate its implementation in both high-burden and low-burden countries.

Heads of State and Government and representatives of States and Governments assembled at the United Nations from 8 to 10 June 2016, reaffirm the commitment to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as the legacy to present and future generations, to ensure that we are on the Fast-Track to reach this target, and to seize the new opportunities provided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to accelerate action and to recast our approach to AIDS given the potential of SDGs to accelerate joined-up and sustainable efforts to lead to the end of AIDS and we pledge to intensify efforts that will help to increase the life expectancy, quality of life, and dignity of all people living with, at risk of and affected by HIV.

This country report will enable readers to learn of the collective successes that Fiji has experienced with the HIV response particularly in 2015. Even though progress has been achieved globally, regionally and locally in stemming the tide of the HIV transmission and AIDS related death, there is still a need to multiply our investment and commitment to ensure that our response is sustained producing tangible results and it also has a high impact. In certain parts of the world, the end of HIV is already in sight. Fiji continues to strengthen its response with the World AIDS Day *WAD+ theme “AIDS WILL LOSE”, which has been in place for the past 2 years following the endorsement of the theme by the HIV/AIDS Board. The theme certainly reminds us that there is no room for complacency and this is not a time to decelerate our efforts. Let us continue to strengthen our bond and our bid to accelerate progress towards an AIDS-free generation.

The Ministry of Health continue to support the global ‘getting to zero targets’ with zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS related deaths, and the global obligation of attaining universal access to HIV prevention, treatment care and support. Hence, the Cook Islands main emphasis is on prevention, ensuring that all pregnant women are tested for HIV, and making sure full access to ART. This also aligns perfectly with the Ministry of Health’s mission statement that is “to provide accessible, affordable and equitable health services of the highest quality, by and for all in order to improve the health status of people in the Cook Islands” The reporting process also provided an opportunity to evaluate the data tools and storage processes in place.

This GARPR report developed by the Communicable Disease Section Team at the National Department of Health and Social Affairs and the report was approved by the Secretary of Health and Social Affairs on April 8, 2016. The technical support for the write up is provided from the UNAIDS Office in Suva, Fiji.