Publications

The HIV incidence in Bhutan has seen sharp rise over last decade; this rise has been attributable to increasing prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections (2.4%), strengthened HIV detection services with improved infrastructures and nevertheless the improved public awareness on the importance of getting oneself tested. Until July 2011, we have 246 total HIV cases throughout the country, and within the gap of six months the case has increased by 24 making total reported cases of 270. Strategies have been revised to match the budget and guidelines revised to enhance and strengthen the HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care and support programs. Currently, the National Program has established 4 free standing VCT centers (HISCs) and integrated VCT centers in all the district hospitals. In order to scale up the prevention of mother to child transmission, the program has prioritized to upgrade current Antenatal clinics (ANCs) with the integration of HIV PMTCT services at all levels of health care facilities.

Askim na Save (Ask and Understand): People who sell and exchange sex in Port Moresby is a comprehensive bio-behavioural study of sex work in Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. The study was designed to fill gaps in knowledge about the sex industry in PNG and to map the sale and exchange of sex in Port Moresby to create a richer and more detailed understanding of sex workers and their vulnerability to HIV.

Human Rights Now (HRN) conducted a survey on violence against women in Cambodia in March 2010 under the 'Violence against Women Project'. The survey was carried out after the adoption of the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the Protection of Victims (DV Law) at the National Assembly of Cambodia in October 2005, focusing on the situation of domestic violence. Although five years have passed since the introduction of the DV Law, this law is yet to be widely used to provide enough protection for women. It has not been fully enforced. The judiciary who is responsible for the enforcement of the law and women themselves do not completely understand the law. As a result, the legal system is not able to prevent domestic violence and provide adequate protection. In this research, we investigated the actual situation of domestic violence and how the DV Law has been utilized to prevent it. Where the Law is not functioning properly, the reasons and the solutions were also explored.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains one of the most pervasive yet least recognised human-rights abuses in the world. It is a worldwide problem, crossing cultural, geographic, religious, social and economic boundaries. It exists in the private and public spheres, and occurs in times of peace and conflict. This report, Men's Attitudes and Practices Regarding Gender and Violence against Women in Bangladesh, is part of The Change Project: Understanding gender, masculinities and power to prevent gender-based violence. It is the first study of its kind in Bangladesh. Interviewing men has provided new knowledge on prevailing social norms, men's attitudes and behaviours – and how they perpetuate violence. Significantly, this study demonstrates that violence is not inevitable and points us in the direction of how to stop violence before it starts.

The Government of Afghanistan took a big step forward in support of women's equality and protection of women's rights when it enacted the Law on the Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW law) in August 2009. The landmark legislation criminalizes for the first time in Afghanistan child marriage, forced marriage, forced self-immolation and 19 other acts of violence against women including rape, and specifies punishments for perpetrators.  This report examines implementation of the EVAW law by judicial and law enforcement officials throughout Afghanistan for the period of March 2010 to September 2011, and identifies both positive progress and large gaps. The report updates earlier findings on the law's implementation in OHCHR/UNAMA's December 2010 study Harmful Traditional Practices and Implementation of the Law on Elimination of Violence against Women in Afghanistan.

The overall aim of the research was to fill gaps in information on HIV and STI prevalence and risk behaviours among MSM and TG in Vanuatu through Integrated Bio‐Behavioural Surveillance (IBBS) and support interventions in Vanuatu. The study was collaboration between the Burnet Institute, Wan Smolbag Theatre and the Vanuatu Ministry of Health. Three research objectives were identified: 1. To estimate the prevalence of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV among MSM and TG; 2. To describe knowledge, attitudes and risk behaviours among MSM and TG in Port Vila; and 3. To estimate population size of MSM and TG in Port Vila.

The purpose of the present document is to outline a regional framework that can support Governments in accelerating and monitoring their national efforts towards universal access through regional cooperation, including the sharing of information, experiences and good practices related to the HIV and AIDS response.

Myanmar MICS 2009-2010 was conducted by the Planning Department, Department of Health Planning and the Department of Health. Its main objectives are to provide updated information for assessing the situation of children and women in Myanmar; to furnish data needed for monitoring progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed goals; and to contribute to the improvement of data collection and monitoring systems in Myanmar.

HIV and AIDS as a public health threat do not require rational for continued worldwide attention. Complicated disease transmission cycle, complex human interaction and paucity of reliable data have positioned the issue as primary health concern across the globe. Periodic global data on HIV and AIDS prevalence, incidence and people living with the disease has reported a decline which is primarily attributable to the reduction in incidence.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Cambodia has been moving into its 20th year after the first case of HIV was identified in 1991.  The Royal government of Cambodia, with the financial and technical support from developing partners and civil societies, has actively responded in order to contain the spread of the epidemic. Consequently, the country has successfully brought the HIV prevalence among the general population down to about 0.9% in 2006.  And it is also projected that the HIV prevalence will remain stable till 2012 with the prevalence around 0.6%.