Publications

Advancements in HIV science mean that today people living with HIV (PLHIV) can work, study, play and participate in social activities without any impact on their productivity or interaction with others. HIV cannot be transmitted via skin-to-skin contact or through everyday social interaction. Antiretroviral (ARV) medicines to treat HIV are taken every day at the same time and received from doctors at regular intervals. Yet, stigma and discrimination on basis of HIV status continue to persist not only in Malaysia, but also elsewhere.      As part of its European Union-funded Asia Action project, the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) has compiled a total of 17 discriminatory cases that were reported by PLHIV in 2013. These cases were reported to the MAC Policy Department who interacted with them directly to ensure accuracy of the accounts. Details were noted in a standardised form. When transmitted between MAC and government agencies, names and identification details were blacked out. Actions toward mitigation of each case were taken within two weeks of receipt.

The Scan of Laws and Policies Affecting Human Rights, Discrimination and Access to HIV and Health Services by Key Populations in Pakistan identifies the current status of legislation, policies, institutional frameworks in Pakistan that safeguard the universal human rights of the key affected populations with regard to the HIV prevention, care and treatment. The scan establishes a baseline on the current enabling environment (law, policies and institutions) in relation to safeguarding the human rights of the key populations and second, and it provides a set of recommendations to input into any reforms to promote an enabling environment where the human rights of the key populations are protected.

Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), known for decades as a "landlocked country", has now become "land‐linked", in the recent years. This is due to the upgrading of roads both domestically and with its neighbouring countries such as Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam, with relatively higher HIV prevalence. As the country is committed to economic expansion, this increased transit routes enabled new opportunities in employment and trade with increased mobility of the people in and out of the country. This dynamic change of increased mobility across borders coupled with the existing commercial sex vulnerabilities and the emergence of groups at high risk, places Lao PDR on a continuous alert of a new HIV threat due to the growing risk to HIV vulnerabilities. As the NSAP 2011‐2015 is in the penultimate year of implementation, the preparation process of this report is an opportunity for the National AIDS Authority and its partners to review and reflect on the progress made in the last three years, as well as to consider the efforts needed to reach the ambitious targets set in the National Strategy.  Recognising its important status, all partners have been invited to take part in an open and participatory process for the 2014 report.

Since 1986 when the first HIV case made its debut, HIV has become one of Malaysia's most serious health and development challenges. At the beginning of the epidemic, injecting drug users was key driven factor that charted the graph by leaps and bounds as the country’s responses focused more on creating awareness and early detection.  To streamline National response, AIDS/STD Sector was established within the Public Health Division in Ministry of Health Malaysia in 1993. In 1992, Malaysia AIDS Council (MAC) was established under the auspices of the Ministry of Health to compliment the national responses with special focus on most-at-risk populations. Without doubt, the current prevention landscape provides a number of opportunities that were not available in 1986.

This study was initiated to generate evidence around the vulnerabilities faced by migrant populations traveling to India. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to explore the vulnerability of sailors and a standard BCC questionnaire was used to assess knowledge around HIV and AIDS. The research study highlights specific opportunities for designing a HIV prevention programme addressing the unique challenges and vulnerabilities of sailors in Bangladesh which includes designing HIV and AIDS information dissemination in appropriate written and verbal from , advocate with NGO’s and civil society organization in raising awareness of the potential HIV – vulnerability of sailors.

Mongolia has always been committed to an inclusive approach to the development of the Country Progress Report and the Global AIDS Response Progress Reporting (GARPR) process. The main stakeholders in Mongolia’s national response include government institutions, development partners, and civil society organizations (as well as PLWHA). In order to ensure an inclusive and consultative process, a technical working group (TWG) was formed, comprising of government and non-government technical experts and led by the National Center for Communicable Disease (NCCD).

Unlike in other parts of the world, the AIDS Epidemic in the Philippines has been growing rapidly. In 2000, only one new case every three days was diagnosed. However, by the end of 2013, there was already one new case every two hours. A concentrated epidemic among the key affected populations (KAP) – Males who have Sex with Males (MSM) and People who Inject Drugs (PWID) may be seen in certain geographic areas. Since detection of HIV cases and the behaviour of KAPs is of utmost importance, the passive and active surveillance in the country has been strengthened.

In Cambodia, women and girls continue to be subjected to physical, psychological, sexual and economic violence, cutting across all divisions of income, culture and class in their daily public and private spheres. In contexts where women and girls face additional barriers in access to human rights, protection and justice they often experience additional risks for violence against women. This includes but is not limited to women with disabilities, women living with HIV, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LBT) women, sex workers, entertainment workers, garment factory workers and other female employees, women who use drugs or their partners use drugs, women in prisons, indigenous women and women from religious or ethnic minorities. 

Vietnam has a concentrated HIVepidemic, with the highest HIV prevalence being observed among people who inject drugs (PWID). Based on its experience scaling-up robust HIV interventions, Vietnam aims to further strengthen its response by harnessing the preventive benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART).

All children, irrespective of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, have the right to a safe and healthy childhood that is free from discrimination. The same principle applies to all children irrespective of their parents' sexual orientation or gender identity. Both the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights make clear that human rights are universal. No person — child or adult — should suffer abuse, discrimination, exploitation, marginalization or violence of any kind for any reason, including on the basis of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Similarly, no person should be denied any of their universal human rights, freedoms and basic opportunities. Further steps should be taken to change attitudes and protect children and families from discrimination based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. Positive social norms that recognize and welcome diversity in cultures around the world should be reinforced to include the recognition, protection and promotion of the human rights of all people, regardless of real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.