Publications

Mongolia is reporting 21 of 31 core indicators of the Global AIDS Response Progress (GARP), and all reported data are new compared to the previously reported ones. The indicator was updated with the findings of the eighth round of HIV/STI Surveillance Survey (SS) conducted in 2014, and the Social Indicators Sampling Survey-2013 (SISS) finalized in 2015. In addition to the core indicators, Mongolia is reporting 33 of 39 indicators of the health sector responses towards universal access (UA) to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, and all reported data are new compared to the previously reported ones.

Like other Asian countries, Pakistan is following a comparable HIV epidemic trend having moved from ‘low prevalence, high risk’ to ‘concentrated’ epidemic in the early to mid-2000s. Pakistan’s epidemic is primarily concentrated among two of the key population groups driving the epidemic in the country. These are People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) with a national prevalence of 27.2% (weighted prevalence of 37.8%); followed by Hira (Transgender) Sex Worker (HSW) standing at 5.2% and then 1.6% among Male Sex Worker (MSW). Fortunately the prevalence in Female Sex Workers still remains low at 0.6%.

The key objective of this mapping study was to provide the province with accurate and reliable information on the size and characteristics of most at risk populations in selected cities of Punjab, through a comprehensive mapping study. Since this activity is an opportunity for capacity building, another objective being to use this research to enhance capacity within government programs and partner organizations to conduct similar research studies in the future.

The WHO HIV Department began its work on PrEP in 2009 to help countries prepare for potential implementation of PrEP, should the trials show sufficient safety and effectiveness. With its partner UNAIDS, and in partnership with Georgetown University School of Law, WHO convened a number of country and regional consultations to address issues of PrEP implementation and to help countries think through the process and the implications.

The 2014 CDHS, the fourth of its kind, follows the CDHS surveys that were successfully conducted in 2000, 2005, and 2010. The 2014 CDHS provides data to monitor the population and health situation in Cambodia. Specifically, the 2014 CDHS collected information on a broad range of demographic, health, and social issues such as household characteristics, utilization of health services, maternal and child health, breastfeeding practices, early childhood mortality, maternal mortality, nutritional status of women and young children, fertility levels and preferences, marriage, awareness and use of family planning methods, sexual activity, and awareness and behavior regarding AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. In the follow-up visits in about one-sixth of sampled clusters, UNCEF organized the collection of blood, urine, and stool specimens among women and children for micronutrient testing.

In this brief, we review drug pricing for new hepatitis C medications and pose basic questions of fairness and medical ethics. Although we focus on Gilead and its hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir, the issues we highlight are broadly applicable to other manufacturers of hepatitis C medications.

This landscape analysis surveys the current state of technologies for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV), as well as market dynamics that affect the affordability and accessibility of HCV therapeutics. HCV treatment falls within the ambit of UNITAID’s mission because it is a major HIV coinfection and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among people living with HIV. Strategic Objective 3 of the UNITAID Strategy 2013−2016 specifically refers to viral hepatitis, notably hepatitis B and C.

The report documents the presentations and discussions made during the Regional Dialogue on LGBTI Human Rights and Health in Asia-Pacific held from 25–27 February 2015 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. The Regional Dialogue, which brought together more than 200 representatives from over 30 countries, was an important step in building consensus and strengthening the movement for legal and social change to advance the human rights of LGBTI people in Asia and the Pacific. It aimed to identify opportunities, build trust, and promote innovation and action. It also actively encouraged private sector involvement in LGBTI rights and provided a forum for LGBTI community organizations and development partners to forge strategic linkages in order to take their agendas forward. 

A cross-sectional design with qualitative and quantitative methods was used for this formative assessment that was aimed at informing the development of the IBBS survey among key populations, i.e., FSW, MSM, transgender women, Drug Users (DU), and PWID, and vulnerable populations (High-risk women—HRW, truck and taxi drivers, and uniformed services) in priority sites in Bhutan.

This paper is an offshoot of the 2014 AIDS Epidemic Model (AEM) Report endorsed by the Department of Health in August 2014. The AEM report utilized a set of tools (AEM workbooks) that provided techniques for estimating and measuring the impact of past and future programs on the HIV epidemic in the Philippines (1970-2050).