Site Search
Displaying results 11 - 20 of 184
Resource | Publications,
In Asia, it has been estimated that more than 95 per cent of all new infections among young people are occurring among young key populations at higher risk of HIV exposure. Behaviours which place young people at a higher risk for HIV infection such as unprotected paid sex, unprotected sex between males, and the sharing of contaminated injection equipment, often start at an early age. It can be difficult for young people, including those from key populations, to access HIV-related information and services. Barriers to access may hinge upon social, cultural, religious, financial, logistical, or legislative issues. These mean young key populations are more likely to have a poor understanding of HIV, inadequate access to health and support services as well as greater engagement in high-risk behaviours. In many countries this is translating into early HIV infection and the potential for escalated growth of the epidemic.
To better understand how countries are tackling the HIV epidemic among young key populations, a number of agencies agreed to partner to investigate how these groups were being addressed in national AIDS strategic plans in the Asia-Pacific region. This report is the outcome of this effort, and aims to inform country-based reviews and progress reports of current NSPs, and the development of future plans with greater attention to these populations.
Resource | Publications,
As the world marks 25 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, The State of the World’s Children calls for brave and fresh thinking to address age-old problems that still affect the most disadvantaged children. In particular, the report calls for innovation – and for the best and brightest solutions coming from communities to be taken to scale to benefit every child.
The Convention itself was an innovation that recognized children as people with rights that must be respected equally to the rights of adults. It has helped drive remarkable progress for millions of children, but far too many are still being left behind.
The report highlights how new ways of solving problems – often emerging from local communities and young people themselves – can help us overcome age-old inequities that prevent millions of children from surviving, thriving and making the most of their potential.
Resource | Reviews and Snapshots,
Recent progress towards zero discrimination in Asia and the Pacific: Punitive approaches to sex work, drug use and sexual relations between men; criminalization of HIV transmission; and enforcement of restrictions on entry, stay and residence against people living with HIV hinder access to HIV prevention and treatment services, and can contribute to the increase of HIV-related stigma and discrimination. Over the past years, over 10 countries in Asia and the Pacific have removed or revised a number of such punitive laws or policies. These actions are helping to enable more people to access HIV services.
Resource | Presentations,
Regional Posters prepared by UNAIDS Asia-Pacific and Data Hub for the 11th UNAIDS Asia-Pacific Regional Management Meeting in Bangkok, 25-28 October 2014.
Resource | Reviews and Snapshots,
The Participatory Functional Review and Stock Take of Regional Networks Serving the Asia and the Pacific Region aims to understand the strategic contribution of 10 regional networks (selected by UNAIDS) over the past five years, further develop their institutional arrangements and capacities to deliver on their mandates, and strengthen their relevance and effectiveness especially their value-added to national stakeholders, donors, and the general public. As such the review provides the regional networks with an opportunity to take stock and determine how to better position themselves over the next 3 to 5 years in response to the changing landscape of HIV in the region and globally.
Resource | Publications,
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.
It was intended that countries would develop a measurable and monitorable action plan for undertaking key legal and policy reforms at country level to bring national legislation and policies in line with international good practice relating to human rights and rights-based HIV responses which the United Nations and/or other partners can support in the lead up to the 2015 deadline for achieving global targets and commitments on HIV, including the MDGs, Declaration of Commitment (2006) and Political Declaration (2011), and as part of the ESCAP Framework for regional support to countries.
Resource | Publications,
This Project, Assessing the Capacity of National Human Rights Institutions to Address Human Rights in relation to Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and HIV (NHRI SOGI Project or the Project), forms part of broader regional collaborative efforts to promote an enabling legal environment for the response to HIV. The NHRI SOGI Project aimed to build understanding of the capacity and response of selected Asian National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) to the human rights issues faced by people of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI).
In much of Asia, SOGI-related stigma and discrimination strips people of their rights and excludes them from mainstream health programs, public services, and economic opportunity. Stigma and discrimination also have the effect of increasing the acceptability and incidence of violence perpetrated against men and women of diverse SOGI and transgender people. Under these circumstances people of diverse SOGI face ongoing and dehumanizing harm, humiliation and exclusion. Driven underground, people of diverse SOGI are denied the ability to live productive lives as contributing and engaged members of society. Deep set socio-cultural prejudices are exacerbated by punitive and discriminatory legal frameworks, criminalization of same-sex sexual relations in a number of jurisdictions, and law enforcement practices.
Resource | Publications,
Connecting the Dots (CTD) is a regional community engagement strategy that lays out a vision for harnessing the potential and immense value that technology can bring to personal and community development. CTD seeks to improve the health and human rights situation for young people from sexual or gender minorities – including but not limited to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender persons (LGBT) – by using web/mobile-based platforms and web-apps to support their wellbeing, raise their awareness of human rights and encourage their civic engagement.
For many young people, burgeoning awareness of their sexual orientation and gender identity can be a process shrouded in secrecy and fraught with shame. For some, awareness is clearly defined as being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), while for others the journey towards self-knowledge is not so clear-cut. It is at this stage in the lives of young people that community development interventions can provide numerous benefits in terms of improving their well-being – especially through promoting health-seeking behaviour, mutual support and a sense of community – and developing their capacity for community advocacy in the areas of health and human rights.
Resource | Publications,
This report provides an overview of the Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) situation in the region. It outlines several key issues and emerging threats throughout the region and their implications for the neighbouring regions. While the data presented point towards the increased efforts by the countries in the region to tackle the ATS problem, it also highlights the need for continued and joint efforts, both at the national as well as regional levels. It is hoped that this report and the forthcoming national and regional updates, will help in the better understanding of the ATS problem and in designing effective strategies to combat it.
Resource | Publications,
The Asia-Pacific region as a whole has had considerable success with the MDGs, particularly in reducing levels of poverty. Nevertheless, the region is off track when it comes to hunger, health and sanitation – and even in areas such as poverty a number of countries are lagging some way behind. After the target date of 2015, there will therefore be a significant ‘unfinished agenda’. The region also faces many emerging threats including rising inequality and unplanned urbanization, along with climate change and environmental pressures such as pollution and water scarcity.
This report presents some perspectives on the post-2015 development agenda as part of the system-wide discussion initiated by the Secretary-General. Being much less locked into traditional development pathways, Asia and the Pacific region has a clear window of opportunity to foster change. The perspectives and aspirations of this region for a new United Nations Development Agenda beyond 2015 should be of much interest to the global community.