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Process models offer opportunities to explore the effectiveness of different program and policy alternatives by varying input behaviors and model parameters to reflect programmatic/policy effects.
Traditional theoretical HIV models set modeling parameters a priority and a small change in model parameters often gives widely varying results for the same behavioral inputs. The Asian Epidemic Model (AEM) has been designed to reflect the primary groups and transmission modes driving HIV transmission in Asia. The user adjusts AEM modeling parameters until HIV prevalence outputs from the model agree with observed epidemiological trends.
The AEM is a semi-empirical model, which has worked well in Asian settings. It provides a useful tool for policy and program analysis in Asian countries.
Resource | Publications,
South Asia stands out as the region with the second largest number of HIV infections in the world. HIV is now found in every country in South Asia. No longer can any society in the region consider itself immune to the virus.
The newest global HIV/AIDS estimates indicate there are more than 5.2 million people living with HIV and AIDS in South Asia. With almost one-quarter of the world's population, the region is now home to some of the world's fastest growing AIDS epidemics.
As the pandemic matures in South Asia, an emerging trend that demands our full attention is that of children living in families who are affected by HIV/AIDS or are orphaned by AIDS. The impact on a child of losing one or both parents to AIDS has been well documented around the world. These children are more likely to be impoverished, to miss out on educational opportunities, and are at greater risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination. Though more research is required in South Asia, studies and experience suggest that children orphaned by AIDS in this region also have their basic rights violated or unfulfilled.
Resource | Publications,
Unions in South Pacific countries face many threats and in many instances have weak or fragile capacities and infrastructures. Programs that respond to the needs of members and non-union workers in relation to HIV and sexual health can assist in building unions as effective civil society (or “non-state”) actors.
Discrimination does not appear to be a major problem in most countries and has been resisted by unions when it has occurred. As cases grow, union policies will need to be in place to counter discrimination that will inevitably occur due to fear and ignorance. Issues of voluntary testing and confidentiality have not been widely debated or considered in most countries. Union leaders and their members need to be well informed and convinced of these key issues in order to protect the rights of workers and to counter demands for involuntary testing and keeping HIV status confidential.
Apart from Australia, New Zealand, and French territories, other South Pacific unions have yet to develop plans of actions to deal with HIV/AIDS. Unions require assistance to develop workplace policies and education programs in line with the ILO Code of Practice.
Resource | Publications,
The United Nations Regional Taskforce on Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV met from 11-13 May 2004 in Bangkok, involving countries from East and South Asia and the Pacific.
The meeting aimed to strengthen communication and cooperation among those working on PMTCT in Asia and the Pacific through sharing country experiences and technical updates from global experts. Specific attention was also given to issues related to increasing access to
antiretroviral treatment.
On the future of the Regional PMTCT Taskforce it was agreed to continue the representation of the East Asia, South Asia and Pacific regions, to meet approximately three times every two years and to ensure that other UN agencies and NGOs are involved in planning and attending meetings, as well as representatives of women affected by and living with HIV/AIDS.
Resource | Publications,
With almost half the world’s population, Asia will determine the future of the global HIV/AIDS
pandemic. If prevalence rates in China, Indonesia, and India increase to numbers similar to those seen in Thailand and Cambodia, the rate of HIV/AIDS would double globally. Such growth would be
devastating for individuals—and for the region’s health systems, economies, and social fabric. HIV/AIDS is therefore a multisectoral development challenge and, consequently, a corporate priority for the World Bank.
This paper outlines a strategic direction for the World Bank in its multisectoral response to HIV/AIDS in the East Asian and Pacific region. It describes the risk of a large-scale HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region. It also spells out what can be done to avert the growth of HIV—and what government, civil society, and other partners are doing. And it identifies how the World Bank can assist at the country and regional levels. The World Bank will work with countries, civil society, the private sector, donors, and other key players to formulate country-specific strategies that try to respond to the needs of the population.
Resource | Publications,
The UNDP supported Project for Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GIPA), led by Sahara an NGO based in Delhi, is addressing these issues. Through a participatory process an initial stocktaking/situation analysis of the experience of people living with HIV/AIDS was undertaken which provided baseline information for the GIPA Project. Subsequently people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA), their groups, organisations and networks have identified capacity building needs and developed strategies and proposals aimed to create a more supportive environment by raising awareness of the situation of PLWHA among the general public and establishing new PLWHA support groups. The intended outcome is more and stronger PLWHA groups capable of impacting the decision making on responses to the HIV epidemic.
The GIPA initiative works to give space for those closest to the epidemic, listen to their voices and include them in the solutions of the enormous challenges posed by HIV/AIDS in South Asia.
Resource | Publications,
Two decades of fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic have shown that complacency is a deadly mistake, and dedicated actions against HIV/AIDS yield positive results. Countries such as Brazil, Cambodia, Thailand and Senegal have provided the world with enough evidence that it is indeed possible to reduce HIV infection rates. Success stories come from countries with both low and high HIV prevalence. We have also learned that young people and people living with AIDS are the most powerful, still untapped resources, for fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
This Publication is a compilation of twenty six programme interventions, including eight in-depth case studies. It is designed to serve as a resource for policy makers, programmers, advocates, community organisations, UNICEF staff and partners.
Resource | Publications,
As the leading UN children and young people's development agency, UNICEF has a number of ongoing strategic programme, advocacy and partnership initiatives designed to strengthen and expand leadership for and by children and young people. HIV/AIDS prevention and care is now one of 5 UNICEF global priorities, in addition to girls’ education, integrated early childhood development, immunisation "plus", and improved protection of children from violence, exploitation, abuse and discrimination. This means that 4 out of 5 UNICEF global organisational priorities are focused on the health and well being of children and young people, and directly working to reduce vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. The MTSP and the UNICEF mission statement and vision are all about facilitating leadership at all levels of society, the family, community, political, religious and economic leaders, including children and young people. UNICEF is integrating HIV/AIDS prevention and care across this dynamic leadership agenda.
Resource | Publications,
Of all the epidemics of HIV (the ‘AIDS virus’) among the different groups in the community whose behaviours put them at risk, none is more rapid or devastating than epidemics among people who inject drugs. But at the same time, nowhere in the field of AIDS prevention are there such dazzling success stories than with prevention of HIV among injecting drug users.
This Manual grew out of the combined efforts of many people battling in Asia to stop HIV. It contains the accumulated experience of over decade of attempts to change policy and implement programs to stop this devastating scourge, collected over several years from many countries in Asia.
Resource | Publications,
In 1997 the Task Force on Drug Use and HIV Vulnerability commenced its operation in Bangkok. It immediately identified the lack of information concerning HIV/AIDS among drug users in the Asia region across three broad thematic areas: insufficient epidemiological data; limited knowledge within the region on policies related to drug use and HIV/AIDS; and, inadequate documentation and dissemination of good interventions. Subsequent to these observations, UN organisations and their partners have undertaken much work in order to fill this vacuum. The Asian Harm Reduction Network, along with other partners, has published two editions of the “Hidden Epidemic”, that provides details on the status of the HIV/AIDS epidemics among drug users in the countries of the region. In October 2000, the Task Force itself published the report “Drug Use and HIV Vulnerability: Policy Research Study in Asia”. These two publications have concisely addressed the issues of epidemiology and policy.
This current publication “Preventing HIV/AIDS Among Drug Users: Case Studies from Asia”, addresses
the third important area, the dissemination of good practices on HIV/AIDS prevention and care interventions among drug users. Emphasis is laid on addressing the practical aspects of how to do it. Each of the studies has been arranged in a format to promote the reader’s further consideration of the issues such that they might be replicated and adapted to their own particular context and needs.