Publications

This brief discusses important new opportunities to reverse the HIV epidemic in specific locations and among key populations at higher risk of HIV exposure. More and more countries are collecting and analysing data that enable these locations to be identified and addressed. Data collection is expanding, and new methods are being used to identify where localized epidemics may be emerging, where specific populations are the most affected by HIV and where vital HIV services are deficient or absent. These data are being combined in innovative ways, including with geographical information, to produce a more detailed and vivid understanding of the HIV epidemic, down to the district and subdistrict levels. This makes it possible to focus HIV programmes more precisely and effectively and to offer or adapt services to reach greater numbers of people in need.

The Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) Progotir Pathey was carried out in 2012-2013 by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), as part of the global MICS programme. Technical and financial support was provided by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The global MICS programme was developed by UNICEF in the 1990s as an international household survey programme to collect internationally comparable data on a wide range of indicators on the situation of children and women. MICS surveys measure key indicators that allow countries to generate data for use in policies and programmes, and to monitor progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other internationally agreed upon commitments. The objective of this report is to facilitate the timely dissemination and use of results from the Progotir Pathey MICS prior to the release of full tables and the final report that will contain detailed information on all survey findings by various demographic, social, economic and cultural characteristics.

The vision for the post-2015 global tuberculosis strategy is "a world free of tuberculosis", also expressed as "zero deaths, disease and suffering due to tuberculosis". The goal is to end the global tuberculosis epidemic.  The Millennium Development Goal target "to halt and begin to reverse the incidence of tuberculosis by 2015" has already been achieved. The related Stop TB Partnership targets of reducing tuberculosis prevalence and death rates by 50% relative to 1990 are on track to be achieved by 2015. Under this strategy, new, ambitious yet feasible global targets are proposed for 2035. These include achieving a 95% decline in deaths due to tuberculosis compared with 2015, and reaching an equivalent 90% reduction in tuberculosis incidence rate from a projected 110 cases/100 000 in 2015 to 10 cases/100 000 or less by 2035. These targets are equivalent to the current levels in some lowincidence countries of North America, western Europe and the Western Pacific. An additional target proposed to ascertain progress of universal health coverage and social protection is that by 2020, no tuberculosis-affected person or family should face catastrophic costs due to tuberculosis care.

Outreach workers have been the focal point for the success and failure of the Needle Syringe Exchange Program (NSEP program) in Malaysia. They are the back bone and considered the front line workers for the NSEP program in Malaysia. They are instrumental in providing all of the services that have been stipulated under the NSEP program and the rightly so individuals to deal with people who inject drugs (PWID) in the community. Outreach workers often face many daily challenges when they work with PWID. Additionally, they also have to face stakeholders who completely reject or give very little support to the NSEP in Malaysia. The general aim of this study is to examine factors that can influence the quality of services provided by the outreach workers to the PWID through the NSEP program. 

A five-day consultation meeting on STI and HIV with the national stakeholders in Nauru was conducted by the Ministry of Health of Nauru, together with the World Health Organization (WHO) Office of the Representative in the South Pacific and the Division of the Pacific Technical Support and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community from 26-30 May 2014. Over-all, the five-day consultations achieved two main outputs: (1) the new implementation plan developed for Nauru that is aligned with Nauru’s National Health Plan, the Nauru’s Sustainable Development Strategy, the Australia and Nauru’s Partnership Priority Agreement; and (2) the documented country dialogue process that will feed into the development of the concept note of the Multi-country Western Pacific for the Global Fund’s New Funding Model covering 2015 to 2017.  

Various levels of stakeholders from government, civil society and UN agencies actively engaged in preparing the Global AIDS Response Progress Report (GARPR), 2014 for Bangladesh and the National AIDS/STD Programme (NASP) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Bangladesh, facilitated the process with UNAIDS support.

In the case of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of both HIV and syphilis, testing pregnant women is a critical intervention for prevention, care and treatment of both mother and child. There are a number of combined HIV/ syphilis (treponemal) tests emerging that could be effective tools in the dual elimination of MTCT of HIV and syphilis. This document reviews the current testing landscape for such diagnostic tools.

The 2014–2015 biennium is critical in the fight against HIV: It is the culmination of a major global effort to achieve the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other global HIV goals and targets by 2015. Significant opportunities exist to build on progress to date and bring the world closer to its ultimate goal of ending the HIV pandemic. The past decade produced some remarkable achievements. By the end of 2012, nearly 10 million people were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in low- and middle-income countries. Universal access for all people in most urgent need of ART has been achieved in many countries, and the global target of ART for 15 million people by 2015 is within reach.

Afghanistan is the world’s largest producer and cultivator of opium poppies; it produces almost three quarters of the world’s illicit opium. While a significant amount of the opium produced in Afghanistan is trafficked out of the country, in 2009 it was estimated that almost 10 per cent of Afghans aged between 15 and 64 were drug users. Based on interviews with drug users, the family members of drug users, key informants and Government officials, this study aims to provide an insight into the origins, evolution and impact of drug use on users and their families across Afghanistan. While the study is not nationally representative, it seeks to enhance understanding of drug use in Afghanistan and provide information to help strengthen prevention and treatment policies. All the drug users interviewed during the study were "problem drug users", who used drugs such as opium, heroin, hashish and tranquillizers (for non-medical use) daily or several times a week. Although the use of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) is rising in Afghanistan, the number of ATS users remains small and that group was not interviewed for the present research study.

APCOM’s Highlight series profile the often unheard of MSM and transgender community- based documentation of good practices from projects across Asia and the Pacific. APCOM works with individuals and organisations on the Highlight series to form the evidence- based information to be shared across the region and for advocacy on issues that affect the lives of MSM and transgender people, including HIV, rights, health and well being.  This case study focus on using the internet for mass mobilisation of the MSM community for the purpose of HIV testing.