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Resource | Publications,
The AIDS response in Asia and the Pacific has seen some of the world’s greatest successes. HIV infection rates have fallen in countries across the region in the past decade — significantly in some; a growing number of people are receiving life-saving HIV treatment; domestic financing for AIDS has risen; and, governments across the region are increasingly addressing stigma and discrimination related to HIV and key populations at highest risk.
This report provides an overview of the epidemic and the response in Asia and the Pacific as well as focus on critical progress and challenges in the achievement of the 10 targets, towards getting Asia and the Pacific to zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS deaths.
Resource | Publications,
This Southeast Asia Opium Survey shows that despite eradication efforts, opium poppy cultivation in the region continues to increase.
Poppy cultivation in Myanmar rose 13% from the previous year to 57,800 hectares, more than doubling since 2006. In Lao cultivation levelled off but remains a concern. Surveys of farmers in poppy-growing villages, indicate that the money made from poppy cultivation remains an essential part of family income. Villagers threatened with food insecurity and poverty need sustainable alternatives, or they will continue out of desperation to turn to growing this cash crop.
In Myanmar and Lao PDR, the use of opium, heroin and synthetic drugs – another growing threat in the region –, remains high. Moreover, the number of registered heroin and synthetic drug users in China has been going up since 2007.
This increase in drug production and use represents a clear threat to human security and health. Balanced plans aimed at slowing and stopping production and trafficking, while preventing drug use and providing evidence-based treatment and care for drug-dependent users, in full compliance with human rights standards, must be made a priority by states and international partners.
Resource | Publications,
The briefs are intended as a resource for policymakers in Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as planners, programme managers, health professionals, service providers, civil society organizations, including key population networks, women’s rights organizations, and others who are advocating for the needs and rights of key affected women and girls. It is hoped that key affected women and girls in each country will be able to use the country briefs to advocate on their own behalf, as well as in partnership with women's rights groups, key population networks and human rights advocates for the information and services to which they are entitled under international health and human rights standards.
Resource | Publications,
Transgender people are an integral part of the traditional culture of many countries in Asia and the Pacific and in many places have been accepted into traditional daily life. In September 2012, a regional meeting of transgender advisers and activists adopted a working definition for transgender people in the Asia Pacific context. The adopted definition states that transgender people are: “Persons who identify themselves in a different gender rather than that assigned to them at birth” and may choose to “express their identity differently to that expected of the gender role assigned to them at birth.” Transgender people in the region “often identify themselves in ways that are locally, socially, culturally, religiously, or spiritually defined,” using local terminology and indigenous labels, despite these terms often being derogatory and marginalizing. A report in 2012 documented 50 such different terms for transgender people across 16 countries.
However, acceptance and integration of transgender women and, to a lesser-documented extent, transgender men, into the daily fabric of local community life has diminished in recent times. Many assert that this change has been influenced by ‘western’ ideals. Societal acceptance and support of gender identification and varied sexual orientation has been declining, which is resulting in heightened discrimination of transgender people. Cultural and economic influences from the west have brought stigma, prejudice and discrimination towards those in Asia and the Pacific region who are transgender, along with men who have sex with men (MSM) and women who have sex with women.
Resource | Publications,
As agents of justice, it is critical that members of the judiciary are empowered with up-to-date knowledge and understanding of the science of HIV transmission, prevention, treatment, care and support; epidemiological developments; and the evolving roles of the law and the judiciary in HIV responses. Enhancing the capacity of the judiciary to address HIV-related legal and human rights issues is a vital component of creating enabling legal environments that support eff ective national HIV responses. Building on the work of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, The Compendium of Judgments, HIV, Human Rights and the Law, is a collation of progressive jurisprudence on HIV-related matters that highlights how the law has been used to protect individual rights. The compendium presents a user-friendly compilation of judgments from different national and regional jurisdictions.
Resource | Tools,
"The Time Has Come" is a training package for health providers to reduce stigma in health care settings, as well as to enhance HIV, STI and other sexual health services for men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people in Asia and the Pacific. The package offers a dynamic, interactive training programme designed by expert peer trainers. It aims to impart practical, sustainable knowledge and skills to programme managers, frontline service managers and health policy professionals that can enhance their leadership capacity and improve programming and service delivery. The training package is designed to be particularly relevant for health care workers, as well as selected staff from national and provincial HIV programmes, Global Fund project managers, policy-makers, frontline managers and advocates. It is hoped that the training package will play an important role in responding to the need to address sexual orientation and gender identity in the region’s response to HIV.
"The Time Has Come" regional training package was jointly developed by UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre (APRC), WHO Southeast Asia Regional Office (SEARO) and WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO).
Resource | Publications,
In the Asian region, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives, Malaysia and Indonesia have a majority Muslim population. Although Islam is in a minority in India, the influence it has on men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people is similar to that of MSM and transgender people in majority Muslim countries. This is indicative of the fact that Orthodox Islam comes with a particular power that has an overwhelming influence on Muslims, irrespective of population size and geography.
This discussion paper examines why Islam matters in preventing HIV, what Islam and Muslim scholars say about MSM and transgender people, as well as how this impacts on the lives of MSM and transgender people and their access to health services. Muslim MSM were interviewed to provide some anecdotes for the discussion paper, and desk-based research was undertaken. It provides a number of recommendations aimed at human rights organisations, human rights defenders, gender activists, policy makers, Islamic scholars and Islamic organisations.
Resource | Presentations,
Presentation from Expert Meeting on the Implementation of the Outcome of the Asia-Pacific High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Assessment of Progress against Commitments in the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS and the Millennium Development Goals
Resource | Presentations,
Presentation from Expert Meeting on the Implementation of the Outcome of the Asia-Pacific High-level Intergovernmental Meeting on the Assessment of Progress against Commitments in the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS and the Millennium Development Goals
11 December 2013, Bangkok Pullman Bangkok King Power
Resource | Publications,
It is indeed a great achievement that gender equality is a fundamental element of the constitutions of all countries in South Asia, yet women and girls continue to be discriminated against within their homes, in schools, in the work place, in institutional settings, and even by law. More specifically, discrimination is especially strong among women and girls who are affected by HIV.
This report looks into existing constitutional provisions, laws, and legal mechanisms in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, and identifies provisions that provide protection or redress for violations of rights at health care settings. While the report focuses specifically on key HIV-affected women, the legal provisions identified also apply to the general population (including marginalized groups, such as disabled and very poor women) whose rights might be violated in health care settings.
The report demonstrates that there are serious gaps in laws to provide protection and redress for violation of rights at health care settings in the four countries under discussion. While the constitutions in all four countries guarantee equality under the law and prohibit discrimination based on sex, there are only a few laws or legal mechanisms that women can use to access justice if these rights have been violated in health care settings.