Asian Development Bank (ADB)

In recent years the Asia-Pacific region, along with the rest of the world, has been assailed by a series of global crises, first the energy and food crises, and more recently the financial and economic crisis – all of which have presented threats to development and to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This report assesses the likely impact.

The report Paths to 2015 emphasises the inter-relationships between MDGs by identifying some overall priorities and opportunities that countries can consider for achieving all the goals.

The HIV epidemiological situation varies greatly within and between Pacific Island countries and territories (PICT), with epidemics increasing in different places at different speeds and with different intensities. By the end of 2004, many countries were identified as low prevalence epidemics reporting less than 10 HIV infections. While statistics of person living with HIV (PLWH) might appear small in many countries, these can reflect high rates of infection because of their tiny populations—and the potential impact can be great.

The overall objectives of this study are to quantify the poverty impacts of an escalating HIV/AIDS crisis in the Pacific, and to raise awareness and increase understanding among key decision makers.

The goal of the Project was to reduce HIV transmission among mobile groups of people, migrants, and source and host communities in the three countries in order to decrease the impact of the HIV epidemic in the region.

In 2002, Dr. Peter Piot, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, stated: "The epidemic in Asia threatens to become the largest in the world. With more than half the world's population, the region must treat AIDS as an issue of regional urgency. The question is no longer whether Asia and the Pacific will have a major epidemic, but rather how massive it will be." The goal for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to be an effective partner to its developing member countries (DMCs) in addressing this challenge.

This technical assistance (TA) aims to reduce the vulnerability to, and risk of, HIV/AIDS transmission among ethnic minority groups through communication strategies.

The writers conducted several of site visits in Port Moresby, Lae, Mount Hagen and Rabaul including meeting, training and workshop. For a better caring, monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS cases in the country, national guidelines for adult, children and pregnant women were developed together with the recording form and procurement system. The surveillance and post exposure prophylaxis reporting form and guidelines were revised and developed. The referral system was developed to strengthen HIV/AIDS care and increase drug adherence. The training for comprehensive HIV/AIDS care were set and given to the medical staffs in PMGH, 3 regional hospitals and NGOs.

The Northern Economic Corridor Project (National Route 3) upgraded a 220-kilometer road in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) linking Thailand and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The project incorporated awareness and prevention education programs on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and drug and people trafficking in several aspects of its operations with the goal of mitigating risk and adverse outcomes associated with the road construction.