What's New

Without universal access to quality health care, millions of people die unnecessarily every year, and preventable diseases including AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria continue to ravage families and communities. More than a billion people lack access to basic health care, and in many parts of the world, one-third of all households have to borrow money or sell assets to pay for essential health services. Universal health coverage aims to ensure that everyone, everywhere can access quality health services without suffering financial hardship.

Syphilis is a systemic, sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterial spirochaete, Treponema pallidum. If it is not treated adequately in the primary, acute stage, it leads to chronicity and many adverse systemic outcomes.  In more than 50% of cases, untreated syphilis in pregnant women can result in numerous adverse outcomes of pregnancy including stillbirths, premature or low birth weight infants, neonatal deaths or birth of a congenital syphilitic baby. Congenital syphilis is an easily preventable and curable disease, which can be eliminated through effective screening of pregnant women for syphilis and adequate treatment of those infected.

- The first HIV case was detected in 1988. - The key populations are as follows: - People who inject drugs (PWID) - Sex workers and their clients (Male and Female) - Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) and transgender people - Male Labor Migrants and their wives - Prison Inmates - Heterosexual transmission is dominant - HIV prevalence among adult population in the country is below 1%

This HIV clinical management guideline is substantially changed from the 2012 guidelines. This is a consolidated guideline, including sections on antiretroviral therapy and opportunistic infections, which were previously contained in two separate documents. In addition to avoiding repetition, the intention is also to make the format more concise, with more dot points, tables and algorithms than paragraphed text. The changing clinical needs of PLHIV necessitate a broadening of the scope of the guideline. As more PLHIV are now established on combination antiretroviral therapy they will experience less late stage complications of advanced immunodeficiency. HIV itself, and longterm combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), increases the risks and complications associated with metabolic and non –communicable (NCD) diseases as people age. This guideline includes a new section on non-communicable diseases to guide the clinician to advise patients regarding the prevention of NCD, to incorporate screening for NCD into routine consultations, and for the investigation and management of NCD. The clinician is directed to Cambodian National NCD guidelines for management of hypertension and diabetes. Whilst the HIV clinician may not always lead the management of NCD if the patient has the opportunity to attend a specialised clinic, the HIV clinician must have a good understanding of these common conditions, and in particular drug interactions with ARV.

The 2015 Afghanistan Demographic and Health Survey (AfDHS) provides data for monitoring the health situation of the population in Afghanistan. The survey is based on a nationally representative sample. It provides estimates at the national and provincial levels, as well as for urban and rural areas. Estimates for Zabul are not presented separately due to sample coverage issues; however, they are included in the total national estimates. Fact Sheets by Region:

• Afghanistan DHS 2015 Capital Region Fact Sheet
• Afghanistan DHS 2015 Central Highland Region Fact Sheet
• Afghanistan DHS 2015 Eastern Region Fact Sheet
• Afghanistan DHS 2015 North Eastern Region Fact Sheet
• Afghanistan DHS 2015 Northern Region Fact Sheet
• Afghanistan DHS 2015 South Eastern Region Fact Sheet
• Afghanistan DHS 2015 Southern Region Fact Sheet
• Afghanistan DHS 2015 Western Region Fact Sheet

Due to their increased visibility, LGBT rights defenders and service providers are at increased risk for violent attacks. Not only are these incidents violations of basic human rights, they have a devastating impact on HIV services for LGBT populations. This policy brief focuses on the connection between anti-LGBT violence and HIV, attempting to convey a sense of the frequency of these attacks, their exceptional brutality, and their impact on HIV prevention and treatment services. The information presented in this report was gathered through a desk review of civil society reports, government reports, media reports, and peer-reviewed journal articles focused on violence against LGBT people in different countries around the world. 

This Foresight Scenario Planning document provides a global perspective on the possible futures of the MSM and HIV movements 25 years into the future. The scenarios presented in this Foresight Document can assist decision makers in assessing their assumptions, highlighting hidden mental maps, and drafting policies for the future. They are simple tools to help policy makers and advocates to envision what the world would look like if different policies or programs are implemented. These scenarios can be used to review or test a range of plans and policy options, the understanding being that different scenarios are likely to result in different outcomes with different benefits and drawbacks. Scenarios can be used to stimulate the development of new policies, or as the basis for a strategic vision. They are also a useful means of identifying early indicators of trends that may signal a shift towards a certain future outcome. This Foresight Document provides a framework to think about how the future will evolve and how to position ourselves in order to influence the future. It explicates what policy and program decisions could lead us down a certain path, and provide guidelines about what we can do or stop doing today that might influence the future.

The Ministry of Health aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Brunei Darussalam through a high quality and comprehensive health care system which is effective, efficient, responsive, affordable, equitable and accessible to all in the country. The organization has three priorities: 1) To make health everyone's business; 2) to enhance quality of service delivery, and 3) to prevent and control non-communicable diseases.  Brunei Darussalam has achieved most of the health related targets set in the Millennium Development Goals.These include significant reductions in under 5 mortality rate(U5MR) and infant mortality rate (IMR) that the figures from the last two decades have shown only slight fluctuations to the current level, which is on par with the standard set in developed nations.

The global HIV epidemic has emerged as formidable challenges to public health, development and human rights. The SAARC Member States have varied epidemiological patterns of HIV infection and AIDS. In reviewing the current epidemiology of HIV and AIDS within the SAARC region, the diversity needs to be fully addressed and defined. Despite of these diversities, Member States are committed to take necessary actions and contain HIV and AIDS epidemic. SAARC Epidemiological Response on HIV and AIDS – 2015 incorporates updated information on HIV/AIDS as of December 2014. This is the 13th report incorporates, as of December 2014, updated information and brief analysis on the HIV/AIDS situation in global, regional and SAARC Member States. This report scrutinizes the HIV epidemic and a more detailed description of its epidemiology in the SAARC region. In addition, this report also includes the situation of HIV/AIDS in the region and the HIV/AIDS Control Program of member states of the region.

Lhak-Sam (BNP+) is the first and only network of HIV positive people formed in 2010, to address the needs of PLHIV for mutual support, solidarity, and social networking in Bhutan. Lhak-sam provides leadership, education and capacity building with a dream to create an environment free from stigma and discrimination and a society wherein all PLHIV and affected family members have opportunities for meaningful livelihood. Lhak-Sam's purpose is to create and promote a strong support system based on solidarity, social networking and people’s participation for addressing and taking collective action towards effective response to HIV/AIDS and its impact. As the year 2015 Wood Female Sheep Year begins, it’s time we look back, reflect and acknowledge the small contribution and achievements that we have made, and the challenges that we have faced in responding to AIDS in Bhutan. This 2015, we celebrate 4 years of our working in solidarity with our HIV positive members and in partnership with government, and relevant stakeholders.