What's New

Asia Catalyst created Know It, Prove It, Change It: A Rights Curriculum for Grassroots Groups, in collaboration with Thai AIDS Treatment Action Group (TTAG) and Dongjen Center for Human Rights Education and Action. The curriculum was designed to help CBOs in communities affected by HIV/AIDS to understand their human rights, to document human rights abuses, and to design and implement rights-based advocacy campaigns. Each book includes a trainers manual, which describes the steps to take; and a Trainers Supplement, which provides lesson plans, sample exercises, and templates to use in a training or workshop. The Practical Field Guide for Community Based Human Rights Documentation is a companion guide to Asia Catalyst’s Know It, Prove It, Change It: A Rights Curriculum for Grassroots Groups. This shorter guide details the essentials CBOs need to run a documentation project in the field.

On the cusp of the fourth decade of the AIDS epidemic, the world has turned the corner—it has halted and begun to reverse the spread of HIV (Millennium Development Goal 6.A). The question remains how quickly the response can chart a new course towards UNAIDS’ vision of zero discrimination, zero new HIV infections, and zero AIDS-related deaths through universal access to effective HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. At a time of financial constraint, good investments are more important than ever. The evidence supporting increased investment in the HIV response has never been clearer or more compelling. New data from 182 countries, along with extensive input from civil society and other sources, clearly show that steady progress is being made towards achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. HIV prevention is working. Treatment is working.

Major progress in global tuberculosis (TB) control followed the widespread implementation of the DOTS strategy. The Stop TB Strategy, launched in 2006, builds upon and enhances the achievements of DOTS. New objectives include universal access to patient-centred treatment and protection of populations from TB/HIV and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). The Stop TB Strategy and the Global Plan to implement the new strategy make it necessary to revise the third edition of Treatment of tuberculosis: guidelines for national programmes, published in 2003.

The 2008/2009 HIV estimates were generated through a systematic process that included consultation with experts in the field of biostatistics and epidemiology and who represented premier Indian institutions, and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and World Health Organisation (WHO). This report highlights the India HIV estimates 2008/2009.

Bangladesh has a total population of 156.6 million (mid 2009) and is ranked as the seventh most populous country in the world. Sex work is not illegal in Bangladesh, per se, yet limitations exist on the basis of age and gender and most activities related to sex work are illegal. Specifically, sex work is legal for females over the age of 18 and illegal for males. Metropolitan Police Acts of Dhaka, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Chittagong, Khulna, and Barisal prohibit the sale or purchase of sex in public places.

The 2010 Cambodia Most at Risk Young People Survey (MARYPS 2010) is a follow up of an earlier survey conducted in 2004 in Cambodia to obtain data on the situation, behaviors and sexual and reproductive health of most at risk young people (MARYP). The goal of the survey was to provide the policymakers and planners with reliable data on alcohol, drug and sex related behaviors and utilization of sexual and reproductive health services among MARYP.

The document shows number of new HIV infection, AIDS cases and AIDS death in Malaysia from 1986-2010.

The study sought to quantify the prevalence of violence against women and children and identify the most common causes of violence. This information is intended to form the basis for interventions that would in the long term minimise and, it is hoped, ultimately eliminate the drivers of violence against women and children. The Kiribati Family Health and Support Study has for the first time in the history of the country provided a picture of just how prevalent and serious this problem is.

The Hong Kong STD/AIDS update is a composite report on HIV/AIDS reporting and STI caseload statistics published 3 monthly. The current issue has the updated information up to December 2010.

Through this Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, the program results at all levels can be measured to provide the basis for accountability and informed decision-making at both program and policy levels. This document provides the framework for the monitoring of HIV/AIDS programs in the country. It serves as guidelines for HIV/AIDS monitoring and evaluation for decision-makers, key stakeholders in the national HIV/AIDS response and program officers on essential data to be collected, utilized, and reported to local and national level authorities.