Publications

HIV infection was first detected in Sri Lanka in 1987 and it will continue to be with us for many decades to come. The estimated number of people living with HIV as at the end of 2007 is around 3500-4000. Hence, Sri Lanka is considered a country with a low prevalence of HIV infection. However, a gradual increase in new cases is being observed and the feminization of the epidemic is emerging. The presence of certain socio-demographic and behavioural factors may change the present HIV landscape. Based on the above factors and the recommendations of the external review carried out to assess the national response against HIV during the five year period ended in 2006, a new strategic plan for 2007 – 2011 was formulated. This was completed with a wider participation of stakeholders from government, non-governmental organizations, business community, religious leaders and people living with HIV. This plan has identified main strategies based on a set of principles and has identified programme priorities, and areas in which various sectors need to focus future actions. Monitoring and evaluation will be based on the indicator frame work.

This report reviews progress made until the end of 2010 in scaling up access to health sector interventions for HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support in low–and middle-income countries. It is the fifth in a series of annual progress reports published since 2006 by the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/ AIDS (UNAIDS), in collaboration with national and international partners, to monitor key components of the health sector response to the HIV epidemic.

The recent HIV estimations highlight an overall reduction in adult HIV prevalence as well as new infections (HIV incidence) in the country, although variations exist across the states. The analysis of epidemic projections has revealed that the number of annual new HIV infections has declined by more than 50 percent during the last decade.

This Handbook is based on the results of an expert group meeting on good practices in national action plans on violence against women. The meeting was convened by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women, UN-Women, in cooperation with the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in September 2010.

Currently Sri Lanka is experiencing a low level HIV epidemic. The estimated number of people living with HIV as at end 2009 was 3000 and the estimated HIV prevalence among adults (15-49 years) is less than 0.1%. Survey data observes that even among individuals considered at higher risk of infection on the basis of their occupation, behaviors and practices, the HIV prevalence is below 1%. As at end December 2011, a cumulative total of 1463 HIV persons were reported to the NSACP. The main mode of transmission is due to unprotected sex between men and women (82.8%)

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.