Publications

Kiribati is considered a low-HIV-prevalence country with 60 (35 males 25 females) cumulative cases since the first reported case in 1991. Of this cumulative number, 28 had died (15 males and 13 females), 1 migrated overseas, 8 (age range: 5-46 years) are currently on ARV treatments. The remaining 23 have been lost to follow-up even with efforts to find them for almost 10 years. To date, it unclear how many of these lost to follow-up cases are still alive and how many have died of AIDS related illnesses. During the reporting period, 3 (2 children and 1 adult) new HIV cases were confirmed.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a signatory to the UN Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS in 2011. This declaration aims to eliminate HIV throughout the world, and has commitments to prevention, treatment, elimination of stigma and discrimination and supporting the human rights of people living with HIV or perceived to be at high risk. The Marshall Islands response is coordinated by the National Advisory Committee on HIV, STIs and Tuberculosis (National Advisory Committee), which was appointed in 2011. The Terms of Reference permit up to 15 members, with seven from civil society organizations.

The 2016 National Report contains 71 indicators recommended for all UN Member States. Nauru does not provide data on some indicators in the 2016 National Report, as 6 indicators do not correspond to the epidemic currently registered in the country and are not relevant for Nauru, and there is no data collection mechanism for others.

The first case of HIV recorded in Samoa was in 1990. Since then, 24 cumulative cases have been reported. Currently there are 11 living cases of HIV. Though this is a low prevalence, low testing rates (4-5%) indicate that there are many more cases likely undetected. The high prevalence of other STI’s (Chlamydia 26% in 2015) are also a concern and pose risks for increasing HIV transmission.

This report on the progress made in the Solomon Islands AIDS response between January and December 2015 and it highlights the achievements, challenges and lessons learnt in the Solomon Islands AIDS response in the thematic areas of Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support as well as Health Systems Strengthening.

Tonga has been a member of the United Nation since 1999. In 2011, Tonga together with 189 other UN Member States signed the Political Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and since then committed to work towards achieving the Targets set under this Agreement. The Millennium Development Goals final report submitted in 2015 indicated that Tonga’s progress towards the Targets is very strong due to robust commitment from State and Stakeholders. Tonga continues to join the world to make zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths a global reality.

This report was coordinated by the Tuvalu Department of Public Health which is leading the HIV/AIDS program response in Tuvalu. The data and analyses presented in this report was drawn from a diverse range of sources including (but not limited to): Department of Public Health and the Tuvalu Princess Margaret Hospital, Laboratory and STI Clinic administrative and reporting data; Tuvalu’s Demographic Health Survey 2007 and key informant interviews.

The Philippines has been identified as one of nine countries in the world where HIV continues to increase at an alarming rate of more than 25 percent. HIV transmission among people who inject drugs (PWID) expanded rapidly in recent years, from less than 1 percent in 2005 to more than 5 percent in the past five years. There are between 12,304 and 16,607 PWID living in the Philippines, with the majority—an estimated 6,000 PWID—in Metro Cebu and between 2,000 and 2,500 in Cebu City. HIV and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) rates among this group have been estimated at 41.6 percent and 70 percent, respectively. In Cebu City, up to 74 percent of people living with HIV contracted the virus through needle sharing, and 99 percent of infections among PWID were reported in Metro Cebu. In March 2013, Population Services International (PSI) was contracted to lead the implementation of the Big Cities Project (BCP) between April 15, 2013 and December 31, 2015 with a total budget of US$1,840,000 committed by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The ultimate goal of the project was to reduce HIV transmission by reducing risk behaviors among PWID. Specifically, implementation of the BCP aimed to develop friendly drop-in center (DIC) and outreach services; increase demand and uptake of health services through improved peer education and support; and strengthen governance for development and implementation of sustainable, evidencebased policies and interventions. 

The global commitment to ending the AIDS epidemic, as set forth in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, represents an unparalleled opportunity to end one of the most devastating modern-day health challenges and also to build on the momentum of the AIDS response in order to accelerate results across the sustainable development agenda. Even when confronted with the vast scale of the global AIDS epidemic, the response to HIV has never lost sight of the value and experience of each individual affected, their hopes and frustrations and their right to health and well-being. Through a fast-track, multisectoral response to AIDS, and through making more strategic use of the machinery built by the response, considerable contributions to a range of Sustainable Development Goals will be made, including on poverty elimination, food and nutrition security, health, gender equality, decent work, reducing inequalities, cities, justice and inclusive institutions and partnership.

The Hong Kong STD/AIDS update is a composite report on HIV/AIDS reporting and STI caseload statistics published 3 monthly. The current issue has the updated information up to March 2016.