Publications

This Policy Brief is adapted from the UNDP and APCOM report, titled ‘Legal environments, human rights and HIV responses among men who have sex with men and transgender people in Asia and the Pacific: An agenda for action’, covering 48 countries and territories of the Asia and Pacific region. The study considered legislation, cases, published research, policy reports and press reports, and drew from consultations with community representatives, legal experts and UN agencies. The following summarizes findings and recommendations relating to South Asia with inputs from two of APCOM coalition members: INFOSEM (India Network for Sexual Minorities) and SAMAN (South Asia MSM and AIDS Network).

This Policy Brief is adapted from the UNDP and APCOM report, titled ‘Legal environments, human rights and HIV responses among men who have sex with men and transgender people in Asia and the Pacific: An agenda for action’, covering 48 countries and territories of the Asia and Pacific region. The study considered legislation, cases, published research, policy reports and press reports, and drew from consultations with community representatives, legal experts and UN agencies. The following summarizes findings and recommendations relating to countries of the Pacific sub-region with inputs from APCOM coalition member, PSDN (Pacific Sexual Diversity Network).

This Policy Brief is adapted from the UNDP and APCOM report, titled ‘Legal environments, human rights and HIV responses among men who have sex with men and transgender people in Asia and the Pacific: An agenda for action’, covering 48 countries and territories of the Asia and Pacific region. The study considered legislation, cases, published research, policy reports and press reports, and drew from consultations with community representatives, legal experts and UN agencies. The following summarizes findings and recommendations relating to countries of the Pacific sub-region with inputs from APCOM coalition member, PSDN (Pacific Sexual Diversity Network).

In Asia and the Pacific region, there is significant economic variance within and between countries – each requiring specific and unique approaches, especially in response to HIV. The age at first male to male sexual encounter is often young, in the teens or younger for many men. Furthermore, receptive anal sex – a practice carrying a high risk of HIV transmission when performed without a condom – is a common experience for young men, including as the first sexual experience. The region needs to find more effective ways to respond to the high and rising prevalence of HIV among MSM. The epidemic situations at country level require the development of programmes that respond to specific local circumstances where young men are practicing male to male sex. Emphasis should be placed on peer-based programmes, where young men are able to shape programmes and services addressing their specific local needs. Greater political will and leader-ship is required to remove the barriers of criminalisation, discrimination and stigma currently inhibiting the resourcing and implementation of effective local programs.

Child marriage is not only a violation of a girl’s rights; it also seriously compromises efforts to reduce gender-based violence, advance education, overcome poverty and improve health indicators for girls and women. In these just released policy and advocacy briefs, the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and its partners highlight the life-threatening situations girls in nine Southern Asian countries face on account of child marriage and recommend ways in which policymakers can prevent the practice. The nine countries included in the briefs are: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

In 2010, Myanmar engaged in the regional project on modes of transmission of HIV. This project aimed at improving the understanding of the HIV epidemics by estimating the incidence of selected subpopulations. Initially, the work was carried out by an ad‐hoc group comprising of staff from the Ministry of Health and United Nations agencies. Following the formation of the Strategic Information and M&E (SI/M&E) Working Group of the TSG, the responsibility for this work was given to the Working Group.

The second Myanmar National Strategic Plan on HIV and AIDS, 2011–2015(NSP II),wasdeveloped in 2010. Progress onthe implementation of theplan is reportedon a yearly basis. The information included in this report has been provided by organizations involved in the national response to HIV and AIDS in 2012. The NSP II includes threestrategic priorities and a series of cross-cutting interventions aimed at providing HIV prevention, care and treatment and support for people living with HIV (PLHIV) and creating an enabling environment to achieve the “Three Zeros”–zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related deaths and zero stigma and discrimination.

It has been 12 years since the last report on HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) was published by the Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO) of the World Health Organization in 1999. This report documents the achievements and challenges of the Region’s health sector response to the epidemic over the past decade. It identifies key technical recommendations to further reduce the number of new infections, and prolong and improve the quality of life of people living with HIV in the Region.

Empower is a Thai sex worker organization started by Ms. Chantawipa Apisuk, a group of sex workers and activists in Patpong, Bangkok’s in 1984. In 2010 Empower decided to undertake a nation-wide community research project to identify and document the impact of the current Thai anti-trafficking law, policy and practice, on sex workers in Thailand, and to develop relevant and achievable solutions. There were 206 Thai and migrant sex workers had become part of the RATS-W project; leading the research consultations, interviewing, giving expert testimony, investigating and undertaking the analysis and preliminary documentation. The 206 sex workers who worked on the project can be divided into 170 research partners; 36 research leaders coordinated by a research working team of four. They are all referred to herein as research leaders, research partners or sex workers interchangeably.

This concept note illustrates achievements to date as well as strategic directions to eliminate new HIV infections in Cambodia as part of the health sector response to achieve the "Three Zeros" by 2020. With the aim of reaching Zero New HIV Infections, and in line with the 2012 WHO guidance1 the following interventions are being considered: accelerating HIV case detection among most-at-risk populations (MARPs), pregnant women, and partners of PLHIV on care and the immediate initiation of ART as Prevention.