Samoa

This is the 3rd time Samoa submitted its Global AIDS Response Progress Report since its first submission in 2011.

In this reporting round to Global AIDS Response Progress Reporting, Samoa’s country report covers the period of January-December 2014. This is the 4th time Samoa has submitted an overarching report and to this global mechanism, so as to show support towards our Global fight to ending further transmission of HIV and AIDS globally, thus saving more lives.

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.

This publication is the first of a series of Samoa Demographic and Health Survey Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (DHS MICS) 2019 20 reports to be published from the dataset of the DHS MICS 2019-20.

The overall goal of the National Policy on HIV/AIDS is to provide for a framework for leadership and coordination of the National multi-sectoral response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This includes formulation, by all sectors, of appropriate interventions which will be effective in preventing transmission of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, protecting and supporting vulnerable groups, mitigating the social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS.

The snapshot does not intend to be an analysis of issues for women and girls relating to COVID-19. Rather it is an account of the responses of courageous human rights workers from nine national human rights institutions in the Asia Pacific Region, who have highlighted some of the issues that women and girls are facing in their countries and how they, and their institutions, are responding to these issues. It is hoped that, by sharing these case studies, the challenges, tools and strategies for responding to, and supporting recovery from COVID-19, may also be shared.

In preparation for the UNAIDS Pacific Consultation on Legal and Policy Barriers to Accessing HIV Services for PLHIV and Key Affected Populations held in Nadi, Fiji from 17-19 April 2013, the author was commissioned as a consultant to conduct a desk review of the available national laws and legislative policies impacting HIV responses in the participant countries: Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

The primary purpose of undertaking this seven-country consultation meeting in April 2013 was to identify the national laws and policies which need review and/or reform, or other programme initiatives which will increase access to rights-respecting HIV services by eliminating real or perceived impediments to delivery of equitable health services to all individuals and communities.

The purpose of the assignment, as stated in the Terms of Reference, was to collect information to identify the context, groups and location of Most at Risk Young People in the Pacific and determine the extent to which specific interventions have been implemented to reach this group of young people.