Publications

Since 1992, the National AIDS Programme has been carrying out the yearly HIV Sentinel Sero-surveillance (HSS) among selected sentinel groups on different (8) sentinel groups. In fact, HIV Sentinel Sero-surveillance (HSS) is the systematic and regular collection of information on the occurrence, distribution and trends of HIV infection and factors associated with the infection for use in Public Health Action.

A significant number of men having sex with men in the Asia Pacific region do not have access to HIV prevention and care services as HIV prevalence has reached alarming levels in many countries. If countries fail to address the legal context of the epidemic, this already critical situation is likely to become worse. The implementation of effective, human rights-based national HIV responses requires governments to consider the effect of laws and law enforcement practices on the health of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender persons. The report's findings and follow up discussion showed that 19 of 48 countries in the Asia Pacific region criminalize male to male sex, and these laws often taken on the force of vigilantism, often leading to abuse and human rights violations. Even in the absence of criminalization, other provisions of law often violate the rights of MSM and transgender persons along with arbitrary and inappropriate enforcement, thereby obstructing HIV interventions, advocacy and outreach, and service delivery. This very debate was at the heart of the recent landmark ruling by the Delhi High Court that Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code unfairly discriminates against men who have sex with men and consenting adults in general.

In order to monitor the ongoing health and family welfare programmes, the need for a database at the district level was felt by the Government of India. For this, the District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS) was undertaken. The present District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS-3) is third in the series preceded by DLHS-1 in 1998-99 and DLHS-2 in 2002-04. DLHS-3 is one of the largest ever demographic and health surveys carried out in India, with a sample size of about seven lakh households covering all districts of the country. DLHS-3, like other two earlier rounds, is designed to provide estimates on maternal and child health, family planning and other reproductive health indicators.

The report provides a rapid assessment of migration and mobility as key influences on the distribution and spread of HIV in the Pacific. While this has been established globally with targeted and tailored prevention programmes on mobility and HIV in a number of countries, the Pacific has yet to develop appropriate responses that take migration and mobility into consideration and ensure that HIV interventions address the drivers of mobility and the specific vulnerabilities that mobility creates. It is expected that this report will contribute to the development of multi-sectoral responses required to address the HIV epidemic in the Pacific region and provide the impetus for the development of effective and targeted interventions for people on the move.

The Operational Plan on HIV 2010-11 is built on the seven strategic directions as lined out in National Strategic Plan (NSP) 2007-11. The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) proposal and budget does not follow the same outline 100%, but operates with nine objectives instead of seven and has a bias for Injecting Drug User (IDU/DU) of the Most-at-Risk populations.  

Pakistan's HIV epidemic is fully established and expanding among injection drug users (IDUs) of whom 20% are infected with HIV. Nascent epidemics are seen in some cities among Male sex workers and transgenders who form sexual contacts of IDUs. With involvement of sex workers, Pakistan appears to be following the "Asian Epidemic Model". On the other hand, nearly all patients in HIV clinics are expatriated migrant workers and their immediate relations. Almost all principle population subgroups have at least some cases of HIV in most cities. While universally known risk of HIV transmission are present among sex workers, IDUs, a sub-group of men from the general population and other groups, epidemics among male sex workers have preceded those among female sex workers suggesting local nuances in sex behaviors.

Preparation of the 2010 China “Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS” Implementation Progress Report (hereafter referred to as the “Report”) was led by the State Council AIDS Working Committee Office, and supported by the China Office of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). A core UNGASS Report Working Group was established, whose members included representatives from the State Council AIDS Working Committee Office (SCAWCO), the Ministry of Health, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the UNAIDS China Office, and the China HIV/AIDS Prevention Association (AIDS Association).

In March 2010, there were 120 new HIV Ab seropositive individuals confirmed by the STD/AIDS Cooperative Central Laboratory (SACCL) and reported to the HIV and AIDS Registry (Table 1). This was a 103% increase compared to the same period last year (n=59 in 2009) [Figure 1]. Of the 120 individuals reported, 13 were detected from voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) as part of ongoing community outreach activities.

In March 2010, PSI Laos, in collaboration with the Lao Center for HIV/AIDS and STIs (CHAS) and in support of the National HIV/AIDS Program, conducted a survey of male to female Transgenders (MtF TG) in Vientiane Capital and Savannakhet Province. A total of 450 MtF TGs participated in this survey; including 320 in Vientiane Capital and 130 in Savannakhet. Behavioral and disease (HIV/STI) level data were collected to monitor the impact of PSI interventions on key target behaviors among TGs.

The HIV epidemic in Myanmar is concentrated, with HIV transmission primarily occurring in high risk sexual contacts between sex workers and their clients, men who have sex with men and the sexual partners of these sub-populations. In addition, there is a high level of HIV transmission among injecting drug users through use of contaminated injecting equipment, with transmission to sexual partners. Latest modelling estimated the HIV prevalence in the adult population (aged 15-49) at 0.61% in 2009. For key populations most-at-risk, surveillance data from 2008 showed HIV prevalence in the sentinel groups at 18.1% in female sex workers, 28.8% in men who have sex with men, and 36.3% in male injecting drug users. It is estimated that around 238,000 people are living with HIV in Myanmar in 2009, of whom 74,000 are in need of antiretroviral therapy. In the same year, an estimated 17,000 people died of AIDS-related illness. Incidence is estimated at well above 10,000 new infections per year, confirming the continuing need for effective prevention efforts, with increased emphasis on reaching long term female sexual partners of male most at risk populations.