Publications

From the earliest days, many Thai public health workers and researchers had feared that widespread sex work would come to dominate the Thai epidemic, a viewpoint strongly validated by the available data from the early 1990s. Thus, even as early as 1989, a new approach to promoting condom use in commercial sex was being pioneered in Ratchaburi province: the 100% Condom Programme. The programme addressed the observation that sex work establishments requiring condom use or sex workers insisting on condom use would often lose clients and money to those who did not. Because many clients did not want to use condoms, there were economic disincentives for establishment owners who promoted safer behaviour at their establishments: men could simply go to another establishment or to a sex worker who did not require condoms. Regional Communicable Disease Control officials in Ratchaburi in 1989 realized that one solution to this fundamentally economic problem was to require that all establishments and sex workers in the province use condoms in every sex act.

This Strategic Plan provides a framework for a national response to AIDS and defines Bangladesh's strategies and priorities for STD/AIDS prevention and care for the next five years (1997-2002) in line with National Policy. The plan builds on work already done and emphasizes a multi-sectoral response to the AIDS problem to include enhancing the involvement of various Governmental Ministries, NGOs, the private sector and the community; and outlines programme management aspects including monitoring and evaluation. This strategic plan also provides a guide for further planning and for the development of sector-specific work plans, which will follow. The broad strategies and interventions included in this strategic plan take into consideration the present epidemiological situation and the likely future scenario.

In June 2000, FHI undertook a cross-sectional survey of men who have sex with other men. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of HIV, syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Phnom Penh (PNP), Cambodia. The survey was conducted at selected locations, as defined by an extensive mapping exercise.

This publication is based on the experience of the authors and of other researchers and programme developers with various migrant populations in Israel in HIV/AIDS prevention and the related fields of sexual health and sex education. Examples are drawn from the work with two recent waves of immigration from Ethiopia and the former USSR to Israel. Observations were made on similarities between the migrant populations as well as on their unique characteristics in inter- action with a host culture. This resulted in developing culturally sensitive HIV/AIDS prevention programmes while responding to the general needs of the migrant populations.

This publication reveals the potential prospects of an increase in the HIV/AIDS infection rate due to the upgrading of the Highways One and Five connecting Cambodia to its neighbors Vietnam and Thailand. The UNDP South East Asia HIV and Development project has responded to this challenge by focusing on the linkage between development (i.e., the improvement of these major roads) population movement, bringing into contact rural communities and mobile constructions workers and boosting the possibilities for rural-urban work contacts, and HIV/AIDS. The publication demonstrates that in order to reduce HIV vulnerability due to the construction work along the two highways an effective intervention with the collaboration of communities, construction contractors, and government authorities is crucial.

The focus of the survey was on the coverage of Ante Natal Care (ANC) and immunization services, the extent of safe deliveries, the contraceptive prevalence and unmet need for family planning, the awareness about RTI/ STI and HIV/AIDS and the utilization of government health services. The present report refers to the data collected in both the phases of survey. The salient findings of the surveys are presented here.

The Cambodia Behavioral Surveillance Surveys (BSS) have been conducted since 1997. The BSS involve the collection of waves of data among the same subpopulations with the same tools in the same cities. The objectives are to measure trends in high-risk sexual behavior in selected key subpopulations over time and to provide yearly information on social conditions affecting HIV/STD. Survey questions focus on behaviors that create the highest risk of transmitting HIV infection. This report highlights findings from the first through the third waves of the Cambodia BSS conducted in 1997, 1998, and 1999.

This paper introduces the conceptual framework of interrelated consequences of the economic crisis on HIV/AIDS prevention and control. On the basis of document research and in-depth interviews with officials at national and provincial levels, we explain how the Government of Thailand has dealt with the AIDS epidemic during the period of economic hardship. The paper describes how programme managers at national and provincial levels have responded to budget cuts and discusses the impact the cuts may have on the effectiveness of programmes. The state of government finance and agreements with the International Monetary Fund have led to many policy adjustments and budget amendments.

The 1997 Viemam Demographic and Health Survey (VNDHS-II) is a nationally representative survey of 5,664 ever-married women age 15-49 selected from 205 sampling clusters throughout Vietnam. The VNDHS-II was designed to provide information on levels of fertility, family planning knowledge and use, infant and child mortality.

The impending demands of adulthood make adolescence a time of intensive preparation. Success depends greatly on the health care and basic education provided during these fleeting years. For young women, greater control over sexuality and reproduction may benefit every social and economic aspect of their lives. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) responds to adolescents in the context of their overall life situation, supporting activities that address their holistic well-being and help achieve their full potential. UNFPA recognizes that young people’s education, health and life opportunities will determine the world’s economic and social prospects in the 21st century.