Publications

Surveillance for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is conducted annually among population groups most vulnerable to HIV infection. The rate of HIV prevalence among injecting drug users in an urban area in central Bangladesh has increased significantly over the past three years to a level of 4% in 2002. Through 2002, in all other population groups sampled, HIV prevalence has remained <1%. The findings of this report suggest a trend in Bangladesh toward a concentrated HIV epidemic among injecting drug users.

Cambodia is often cited as an example of how an effective multi-sectoral response to HIV, with strong political commitment and effective co-operation between government, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), and international organisations, can impact on the spread of infection. Cambodia has an HIV/AIDS prevalence of 2.6% in the adult population (15-49 years). Government data indicates that HIV prevalence rates in some of the populations under surveillance appear to be declining. However, the current data indicates that HIV/AIDS is not uniformly distributed throughout the country and numbers of cases of AIDS and AIDS-related deaths continue to increase. This report, building on the strengths of Khmer HIV/AIDS NGO Alliance (KHANA) and its partners, focuses on the current and future opportunities for KHANA, and other NGOs, to support access to ARV treatment for people with HIV. Recommendations are given with regard to use of existing sources of ARV, sources for increasing availability of ARV, and models for provision of ARV most likely to bring broad benefits to patients, as well as to prevention efforts, and to the health system in general.

With USAID funding Family Health International (FHI) launched a series of sexual behavior surveys in developing countries called Behavioral Surveillance Surveys (BSS). These repeated cross-sectional surveys of behaviors in sentinel groups are now considered as an essential component of second generation HIV surveillance systems. These surveys are designed to be administered on a regular basis (either annually or bi-annually) to provide data on changes of risk behaviors over time. Cambodia is fortunate to have one of the most comprehensive BSS in the world, established in 1997 and repeated annually. The 2001 BSS is the fifth round.

UNICEF EAPRO convened the UN Regional Taskforce meeting in Bangkok from 27-29 August 2003 as part of ongoing efforts to support countries to respond strategically and effectively to HIV/AIDS, to share the lessons learned between countries and from clinical trials and programme initiatives, and to meet the Millennium Development Goals, and the Declaration of Commitments arising from the 2001 UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS. There were a total of 23 participants from nine countries and 10 resource persons from regional technical organizations.

The HIV epidemic in Vietnam is growing, and promotion of prevention behavior among vulnerable populations, such as migrant workers, is becoming increasingly critical. In Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), the locus of the epidemic in Vietnam, efforts have been under way for several years to implement prevention efforts for migrant worker populations. Led by the HCMC AIDS Committee and HCMC Labor Union, the main activity has utilized volunteer health communicators (HC) to visit workplaces and conduct HIV education activities. However, these efforts have reached only a relatively small number of the intended audience, and the impact of the current program is unclear. Local authorities want to scale up their efforts but require information on the most effective and least costly activities, as well as their potential for scale up.

This study was conducted among street and establishment-based female sex workers (FSWs) and their clients in Kathmandu. This is the first round of the Behavioral Surveillance Survey conducted among the two groups: FSWs and their clients in the Kathmandu Valley. The survey was carried out during the months of July and August 2001 to measure risk behaviors which are associated with the risk of HIV infection, such as condom use, sexual behaviors, knowledge of HIV/AIDS, reported cases of STI and their treatment behaviors, exposure to HIV/AIDS messages, and drug habits.

For many years Bangladesh has been able to escape the HIV/AIDS epidemic that is affecting countries all around us. Now the results of the fourth round of national surveillance indicate that the country has no reason to be complacent. In the central part of the country, there is an upsurge of HIV infection among injection drug users. Fortunately, the virus has remained at low prevalence among the other vulnerable groups under surveillance.

The first case of HIV/AIDS in a Sri Lankan was reported in 1987 and the first indigenous transmission of HIV was reported in 1989. The National Working Group on HIV Estimates convened by the National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP) estimates the current burden of decease as between 4700 (low) to 7200 (high).

This study aimed to estimate the magnitude of the STI problem in the general population and to provide data to improve RTI/STI case management guidelines. The study revealed that STI prevalence, particularly genital ulcer disease, remains low in the general population in the Philippines. However, young people have relatively high prevalence of genital chlamydial infection. The study also demonstrated moderately high prevalence of established risk behaviors such as men having unprotected commercial sex encounters. There is a need to provide new approaches and strengthen current STI interventions to sustain the low STI rates and lower chlamydial infections. The foregoing findings revealed that majority of the STI cases are asymptomatic. Since current laboratory tests are expensive and simple and cheap laboratory tests are still unavailable, there is a need to develop a strategy to reach and treat asymptomatic STI cases.

School-Based Healthy Living and HIV/AIDS Prevention Education (SHAPE) was initiated jointly by the Ministry of Education of the Government of Myanmar and UNICEF in 1997. SHAPE is a life skills project with a emphasis on prevention of HIV/AIDS and its related problems of STI and drug abuse. SHAPE implementation began in 30 townships during the 1998/99 school year and was expanded to 30 more townships in the two years that followed. Now SHAPE is being implemented in 104 townships. This assessment focused only upon the initial townships where results would be more apparent.