Publications

Gains continue to be made in the response to the global HIV epidemic. New HIV infections are falling, fewer people are dying of AIDS-related causes and more people with HIV are living longer. There were 2.7 million [2.4 million–2.9 million] new HIV infections in 2010, down 21% from the peak of the global epidemic in 1997. HIV incidence has fallen in 33 countries, 22 of them in sub-Saharan Africa, the region most affected by the AIDS epidemic.

The HIV pandemic is one of the greatest challenges that the world faces today. At the end of 2012, 34 million people were estimated to be living with the virus. There were 390,000 new infections among children under the age of 15. Most of these new infections are believed to stem from transmission in utero, during delivery (vertical transmission) or as a result of breast feeding.

The first multi-stakeholder National Strategic Plan on HIV in Myanmar was developed and launched in 2006. The NSP was jointly developed and agreed by the stakeholders. It called for a prioritisation of prevention interventions to address the concentrated nature of the epidemic. This final report of the progress of the NSP I aims at giving an overview of the achievements made in these 5 years. The NSP II has been built on the successful and proven elements of the NSP I. This report tries to highlight these successes as much as the work that still needs to be done in order to reduce new infections further and to ensure that all the people in need of treatment receive ARVs.

The HIV incidence in Bhutan has seen sharp rise over last decade; this rise has been attributable to increasing prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections (2.4%), strengthened HIV detection services with improved infrastructures and nevertheless the improved public awareness on the importance of getting oneself tested. Until July 2011, we have 246 total HIV cases throughout the country, and within the gap of six months the case has increased by 24 making total reported cases of 270. Strategies have been revised to match the budget and guidelines revised to enhance and strengthen the HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care and support programs. Currently, the National Program has established 4 free standing VCT centers (HISCs) and integrated VCT centers in all the district hospitals. In order to scale up the prevention of mother to child transmission, the program has prioritized to upgrade current Antenatal clinics (ANCs) with the integration of HIV PMTCT services at all levels of health care facilities.

Askim na Save (Ask and Understand): People who sell and exchange sex in Port Moresby is a comprehensive bio-behavioural study of sex work in Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. The study was designed to fill gaps in knowledge about the sex industry in PNG and to map the sale and exchange of sex in Port Moresby to create a richer and more detailed understanding of sex workers and their vulnerability to HIV.

Human Rights Now (HRN) conducted a survey on violence against women in Cambodia in March 2010 under the 'Violence against Women Project'. The survey was carried out after the adoption of the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the Protection of Victims (DV Law) at the National Assembly of Cambodia in October 2005, focusing on the situation of domestic violence. Although five years have passed since the introduction of the DV Law, this law is yet to be widely used to provide enough protection for women. It has not been fully enforced. The judiciary who is responsible for the enforcement of the law and women themselves do not completely understand the law. As a result, the legal system is not able to prevent domestic violence and provide adequate protection. In this research, we investigated the actual situation of domestic violence and how the DV Law has been utilized to prevent it. Where the Law is not functioning properly, the reasons and the solutions were also explored.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains one of the most pervasive yet least recognised human-rights abuses in the world. It is a worldwide problem, crossing cultural, geographic, religious, social and economic boundaries. It exists in the private and public spheres, and occurs in times of peace and conflict. This report, Men's Attitudes and Practices Regarding Gender and Violence against Women in Bangladesh, is part of The Change Project: Understanding gender, masculinities and power to prevent gender-based violence. It is the first study of its kind in Bangladesh. Interviewing men has provided new knowledge on prevailing social norms, men's attitudes and behaviours – and how they perpetuate violence. Significantly, this study demonstrates that violence is not inevitable and points us in the direction of how to stop violence before it starts.

The Government of Afghanistan took a big step forward in support of women's equality and protection of women's rights when it enacted the Law on the Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW law) in August 2009. The landmark legislation criminalizes for the first time in Afghanistan child marriage, forced marriage, forced self-immolation and 19 other acts of violence against women including rape, and specifies punishments for perpetrators.  This report examines implementation of the EVAW law by judicial and law enforcement officials throughout Afghanistan for the period of March 2010 to September 2011, and identifies both positive progress and large gaps. The report updates earlier findings on the law's implementation in OHCHR/UNAMA's December 2010 study Harmful Traditional Practices and Implementation of the Law on Elimination of Violence against Women in Afghanistan.

The overall aim of the research was to fill gaps in information on HIV and STI prevalence and risk behaviours among MSM and TG in Vanuatu through Integrated Bio‐Behavioural Surveillance (IBBS) and support interventions in Vanuatu. The study was collaboration between the Burnet Institute, Wan Smolbag Theatre and the Vanuatu Ministry of Health. Three research objectives were identified: 1. To estimate the prevalence of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV among MSM and TG; 2. To describe knowledge, attitudes and risk behaviours among MSM and TG in Port Vila; and 3. To estimate population size of MSM and TG in Port Vila.

The purpose of the present document is to outline a regional framework that can support Governments in accelerating and monitoring their national efforts towards universal access through regional cooperation, including the sharing of information, experiences and good practices related to the HIV and AIDS response.