Publications

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).

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).

With the recent updates on the HIV epidemic status and the current program responses, the various strategic information, including updated surveillance results from the HSS and community behavioral surveillance (BSS) and integrated behavioral and biomarker surveillance (IBBS) among different key populations, updated intervention program results (HIV care and antiretroviral treatment, prevention of mother to child HIV transmission, etc.), population structural change, etc. The Bureau of Epidemiology, in cooperation with the Thailand and the Thai Working Group on HIV/AIDS Projections (2010), the A2 Thailand, and the Thailand MoPH-U.S. CDC Collaboration operate the Projection for HIV/AIDS in Thailand 2010 -2030 using the recent update version of Asian Epidemic Model, entitled AIDS Epidemic Model (AEM) for HIV projection among adult 15+ years old and the Spectrum for HIV projection among children lesser than 15 years old.

This report describes the current continuum of testing for HCV, which is complex and expensive, which means that it is very challenging to implement in resource-limited settings. It examines the platforms/tests that are currently available across the range of required HCV testing from screening to confirmation and genotyping, fibrosis staging and treatment monitoring. The report also considers how the testing cascade for HCV may be simplified with the availability of DAAs, which would help make HCV testing attainable in resource-limited settings. Finally, it looks at the pipeline of tests/platforms for HCV that could be delivered at or near the point of patient care.

Bhutanese health system has undergone a significant change during the last few decades. The change has been accompanied by improvement in the delivery of health care services to the people resulting in improved health outcomes of Bhutanese population. There has been increasing life expectancy, decreasing prevalence of communicable diseases, among others. Further, most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) has been realized, while some of them remain on track to be fulfilled by 2015. In addition, feedbacks from the populations also indicate lower report of sicknesses and increased satisfaction rate with health care services. On the contrary, Bhutanese health system is grappling with a plethora of challenges. The double burden of diseases – emerging and re-emerging communicable diseases and increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases – poses threats to the health of Bhutanese population. Health system also continues to face problems such as the shortage of health workforce and escalation of health expenditures, among others. Therefore, the Status of Bhutan’s Health 2015 features the health status of Bhutanese population as of 2014. It is described under the following headings; 1) progress in health; 2) modifiable gaps in health; and 3) health system and its challenges.

2014 was another milestone year for the Department of Health (DOH) as they continued their efforts to achieve Kalusugan Pangkalahatan.  With the support of partner agencies, the Department has been vigilant in preventing the spread of emerging and re-emerging diseases by taking appropriate measures such as surveillance, quarantine procedures, effective information dissemination and risk communication, and a hospital referral network system. To allow more Filipinos to enjoy the benefits of universal health care, the department widened the reach and depth of financial risk protection by increasing membership in the National Health Insurance Program of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) through the Point of Care Enrollment Program.