Publications

As part of efforts to tackle the HIV epidemic, the Government of Papua New Guinea (GoPNG) has endorsed a National Strategic Plan (NSP) for HIV and AIDS, 2006-2010. A planning exercise for the implementation of this plan is undertaken each year which aims to bring stakeholders together with the goal of developing an approved GoPNG HIV Development Budget and Plan for the coming year, containing details of funded activities to support NSP implementation. This report begins with a review of the NSP Annual Plan for 2010, followed by an appraisal of progress, future planning and gaps and omissions in each NSP Focus Area. Where relevant, reference is made to ongoing work to develop the National HIV and AIDS Strategy (NHS) 2011-15, both with respect to the process of development and the contents of this strategy. Finally, the IRG has highlighted a number of key priorities for the coming year, both to build upon work already completed and to facilitate easy transition from the NSP to the NHS.

As part of monitoring and evaluation of the Avahan programmes, quantitative Special Behavioural Surveys (SBS) and Integrated Behavioural And Biological Assessment (IBBA) surveys were conducted with FSWs to examine sex work characteristics, condom use and sexual behaviours with regular partners and clients, alcohol and drug use, and knowledge and use of the HIV prevention programme services. This quantitative Special Behavioural Survey (SBS) study was conducted with female sex workers (FSWs) in urban Bellary district from December 2005 to July 2006.

TB and HIV co-epidemic is a major public health problem in many parts of the world, particularly in developing counties. We aimed to summarize the prevalence of TB and HIV co-infection in mainland China, using meta-analysis based on systematic review of published articles. Our analyses indicated that the prevalence of HIV/TB co-infection in China deserves special attention, screening of TB among HIV/AIDS populations should be attached more importance, which would be much more helpful for treatment of both diseases.

Since 1992, the National AIDS Programme has been carrying out the yearly HIV Sentinel Sero-surveillance (HSS) among selected sentinel groups on different (8) sentinel groups. In fact, HIV Sentinel Sero-surveillance (HSS) is the systematic and regular collection of information on the occurrence, distribution and trends of HIV infection and factors associated with the infection for use in Public Health Action.

A significant number of men having sex with men in the Asia Pacific region do not have access to HIV prevention and care services as HIV prevalence has reached alarming levels in many countries. If countries fail to address the legal context of the epidemic, this already critical situation is likely to become worse. The implementation of effective, human rights-based national HIV responses requires governments to consider the effect of laws and law enforcement practices on the health of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender persons. The report's findings and follow up discussion showed that 19 of 48 countries in the Asia Pacific region criminalize male to male sex, and these laws often taken on the force of vigilantism, often leading to abuse and human rights violations. Even in the absence of criminalization, other provisions of law often violate the rights of MSM and transgender persons along with arbitrary and inappropriate enforcement, thereby obstructing HIV interventions, advocacy and outreach, and service delivery. This very debate was at the heart of the recent landmark ruling by the Delhi High Court that Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code unfairly discriminates against men who have sex with men and consenting adults in general.

In order to monitor the ongoing health and family welfare programmes, the need for a database at the district level was felt by the Government of India. For this, the District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS) was undertaken. The present District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS-3) is third in the series preceded by DLHS-1 in 1998-99 and DLHS-2 in 2002-04. DLHS-3 is one of the largest ever demographic and health surveys carried out in India, with a sample size of about seven lakh households covering all districts of the country. DLHS-3, like other two earlier rounds, is designed to provide estimates on maternal and child health, family planning and other reproductive health indicators.

The report provides a rapid assessment of migration and mobility as key influences on the distribution and spread of HIV in the Pacific. While this has been established globally with targeted and tailored prevention programmes on mobility and HIV in a number of countries, the Pacific has yet to develop appropriate responses that take migration and mobility into consideration and ensure that HIV interventions address the drivers of mobility and the specific vulnerabilities that mobility creates. It is expected that this report will contribute to the development of multi-sectoral responses required to address the HIV epidemic in the Pacific region and provide the impetus for the development of effective and targeted interventions for people on the move.

The Operational Plan on HIV 2010-11 is built on the seven strategic directions as lined out in National Strategic Plan (NSP) 2007-11. The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) proposal and budget does not follow the same outline 100%, but operates with nine objectives instead of seven and has a bias for Injecting Drug User (IDU/DU) of the Most-at-Risk populations.  

Pakistan's HIV epidemic is fully established and expanding among injection drug users (IDUs) of whom 20% are infected with HIV. Nascent epidemics are seen in some cities among Male sex workers and transgenders who form sexual contacts of IDUs. With involvement of sex workers, Pakistan appears to be following the "Asian Epidemic Model". On the other hand, nearly all patients in HIV clinics are expatriated migrant workers and their immediate relations. Almost all principle population subgroups have at least some cases of HIV in most cities. While universally known risk of HIV transmission are present among sex workers, IDUs, a sub-group of men from the general population and other groups, epidemics among male sex workers have preceded those among female sex workers suggesting local nuances in sex behaviors.

Preparation of the 2010 China “Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS” Implementation Progress Report (hereafter referred to as the “Report”) was led by the State Council AIDS Working Committee Office, and supported by the China Office of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). A core UNGASS Report Working Group was established, whose members included representatives from the State Council AIDS Working Committee Office (SCAWCO), the Ministry of Health, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the UNAIDS China Office, and the China HIV/AIDS Prevention Association (AIDS Association).