Invitation: Meeting on   National alliance building for multicultural
response to HIV in India: Challenges and opportunities.
MUMBAI 12th and 13th February 2009.
http://www.apachanet.org/

Dear Friends

Recognizing the problem of HIV/AIDS facing the country today and
given the fact that several actors are engaged in addressing the
problem locally, regionally, nationally and internationally; a need
was felt to build a national alliance of various groups and movements
to consolidate and synthesize the efforts and energies of agencies to
create a significant, discernible and tangible impact at the national
level.

With this reason Asian People's Alliance to combat HIV/AIDS
(APACHA)   a broad Asian regional alliance that brings together
people from various walks of life was formally launched.
http://www.apachanet.org/

APACHA, the largest HIV social movement in Asia, acknowledges the facts that HIV
& AIDS poses political, economic, human rights and governance challenge in the
region. Thus, until every facet of society is mobilized, the battle is not
possible.

APACHA attempts to bring likeminded agencies such as trade
unions, student unions, human rights networks, women's rights
networks, lawyers, sex workers networks, MSM networks, media,
academia, Dalits rights networks, land rights movements, indigenous
groups, people living with HIV & AIDS to work together.

The main aim of this alliance is to facilitate and support –
democratic-social and political mobilizations locally, nationally and
internationally and build alliances to effectively address issues
related to the causes and consequences of HIV & AIDS.

A national meeting is called by like minded organizations from
various walks of life to discuss the issues related to NACP III and
role of civil society in the planning of NACP IV, Civil society
engagements and representation in Global Fund decision making
processes, need to expand priorities in critical issues such as fund
utilization for most vulnerable sections in society and staff
retrenchment of most needy during this global financial crisis.

We are proposing a meeting in MUMBAI on 12th and 13th February2009,
Sarvodaya, St. Pius Campus, Goregaon, Mumbai.

More details about the venue and schedule will be informed as soon as
you confirm the participation.

The organizers will take care of the boarding and lodging while the
participants will have to bear the cost of travel.

The meeting also will end up with formal National alliance formation
including multi sector participation of all those people who are
involved such as women's groups, youth groups, health workers, CBOs
of IDUs, CBOs of MSM groups and people living with HIV/AIDS.

We seek your participation to make the meeting. We hope to begin the
meeting by 10.30 am on 12th and will conclude after lunch on 13th
February.  Kindly confirm your participation.

Please send Response to <apachaindia@...>.

Sincerely,

For APACHA India Organizing Committee
CYDA- Pune for APACHA India
http://www.apachanet.org/

If more information required please contact Mathew +91- 9373308126
or by e-mail: <apachaindia@...>.

Dear Friends,

I'm working to enlist events for World Community Arts Day, being held "live" and
on the Internet on February 17, 2009. A number of groups and individuals from
around the world have signed up to participate, and you can see more at the url
below.

http://www.communiversity.org.uk/worldcommunityartsday.htm

Members of ActALIVE (www.actalive.org), an international coalition of
individuals and organizations using arts and media to address HIV/AIDS and the
MDGs, will be taking part. It would be inspiring and illuminating for others
using arts to address HIV/AIDS and health issues to take part too.

Please contact me (kaippg@...) or the head organizer of WCAD, Andrew
Crummy, who can be reached at andrewcrummy@... or
andrew@....

One thing the organizers are working on is a series of radio and audio events.
An Internet radio station based in Northern Ireland, Homely Planet
(www.homelyplanet.org), will be developing a special broadcast for the day

Any ideas for an audio collaboration for radio are welcome. Something simple
would be fine: for example, someone from Northern Ireland could email their own
poem to someone in Kenya, who could record themselves reading it out for
broadcast. And other way around.

People can email MP3's to Darren Ferguson, Homely Planet Team, at this gmail
address: homelyplanet@....

Please join us in celebrating World Community Arts Day on February 17th!  Thanks
so much!

Janet Feldman

ActALIVE and KAIPPG International
www.kaippg.org
e-mail: kaippg@...

Hi

Re: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AIDS_ASIA/message/1466

It appears that Frika Chia is referring to the Leadership and
Accountability & UNAIDS staff !?  If it is so, this concern was already
echoed by the Lancet

"More immediately, many feel UNAIDS needs a major overhaul—that it
needs to be smaller, leaner, far better managed, and more open to
uncertainty and debate. One expert told The Lancet, "there is a
widespread perception that previous appointments and promotions were
due largely to perceived individual loyalty to the outgoing Executive
Director". He suggests that all major positions should be re-competed
on merit, with an open selection process and an emphasis on
recruiting the best, most qualified, most objective scientific
specialists. (Pam Das , Udani Samarasekera 2008)

Pam Das , Udani Samarasekera (2008) What next for UNAIDS? The Lancet,
Volume 372, Issue 9656, Pages 2099 - 2102, 20 December
2008 doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61908

Dear AIDS ASIA,

The Royal Government of Cambodia Awarded the 'Royal Order of Sahametrei' to Dr
Chinkholal Thangsing.

It is great honor to receive Royal order of  Sahametrei' from The Royal
Government of Cambodia.

This is a big honor not only for Dr Lal but also for the community involved in
HIV response in Asia pacific. The AIDS activists and professionals from India
feel proud about this  in a particular way.

We feel proud that he has been given this award for his dedication and
contribution to better the lives of the people in Asia.

This is also an acknowledgement to the emerging Asian leadership in HIV
response.

From the Maitri team, we extend our felicitations to Dr Chinkho Lal.


With Best Regards,

Winnie Singh

Executive Director, Maitri
106, Aradhana RK Puram Sector 13
New Delhi, India
url: http:// www.maitri.org.in
mobile: 98.101.32908/ tel/fax: +91.11.26111559

Dear FORUM,

Re: Garcia's posting on Leadership and Accountability - Personal reflections

Re: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AIDS_ASIA/message/1468

I would love read more discussion on statement that "how community person
exchange their ideology of justice for a small project". If it is coming from
other party outside community (read key affected populations) it is a simple
thing to response to. But if it is coming from the community then the problem
become bigger.

From my personal point of view there are thousand of variables influencing this
issues. Those who have the power to control "resources" have specific purpose to
maintain community vulnerability towards HIV infection. So the strategy to keep
this going on is to provide limited resources for the community to have
supportive environment (read: empowerment).

A systemic conflict between the community was being develop long time ago on
behalf of public goods which has been driven by private goods.

AIDS movement sustainability is a challenging stage that will never happen under
engagement of such design.

To prove this let us prove on how many percentage that from all resources
available get into the beneficiaries in AIDS response?

The most ridiculous thing is when some community strikes no one there from the
community side to watch their back and provide support.

Instead of attacking community using other party name besides community it is
more easy attacking community using position on behalf of community itself. But
some happen on behalf a very power full position from party outside community as
it is easy to create tension between community and find scape goat. With such
power it is easy to pay some groups with inability to be consistent in true
ideology of community empowerment to do this rights?

Personal perspective by

Abdullah Denovan
+62 815 1139 5809
email: d_no0van@...

The Royal Government of Cambodia Awarded the `Royal Order of
Sahametrei' to  Dr Chinkholal Thangsing

Phnom Penh January 21st 2009: The Royal Government of Cambodia
awarded the prestigious "Royal Order of Sahametrei " to Dr.
Chinkholal Thangsing, Asia Pacific Bureau Chief of AIDS Healthcare
Foundation.

The `Royal Order of Sahametrei' is a medal of honour conferred primarily on
foreigners who have rendered distinguished  services to the King and to the
Nation by Royal Decree of His Majesty the King of Cambodia.

This award recognized Dr. Chinkholal Thangsing exemplary contribution and
dedication towards humanitarian services rendered by him and the organization
for the people living with HIVAIDS and general public in Cambodia.

The selfless and passionate  mission has saved many lives and restores dignity
and hope for many people infected and affected by the HIV epidemic in Cambodia.

The "Royal Order of Sahametrei" was conferred after a citation by His
Excellency Professor Mam Bun Heng, The Honorable Minister of Health,
on behalf of the Prime Minister, The Royal Government of Cambodia
today the 21st January 2009.

The Honorable Minister announced "This  is a big honor and my proud privilege to
hand over the `Sahametrei' to you, to honor and recognized your selfless
dedication and contribution to better the lives of our people".

Accepting the award Dr. Chinkholal Thangsing said "I am deeply
honored and humbled for being awarded the prestigious `Royal Order of
Sahametrei'. My heartfelt gratitude and thanks to the Royal
Government of Cambodia – The Ministry of Health, National Center for
HIVAIDS, Dermatology and STI (NCHADS) AIDS Healthcare Foundation and
to the highly committed wonderful AHF Cambodia Cares team for this
tremendous, tremendous honor.

This award is a tribute just not for me but to all those who willingly endeavor
and risk their lives, energy, strength, wisdom and have the courage to fight for
the underserved and unserved and for those who cannot do it themselves."

Dr. Chinkholal Thangsing, MBBS, FCAMS son of Mr. Paokhosoi Thangsing
graduated from North Eastern Regional Medical College and a
Postgraduate Fellow of the Christian Academy of Medical Sciences
trained in Applied Psychology, HIVAIDS. He has till date dedicatedly
work for over twenty years as a physician, HIV specialist, an
activist in the fight for HIVAIDS. He is the Asia Pacific Bureau
Chief of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, United States of America. AHF
Asia Pacific bureau operates in Cambodia, China, India, Thailand,
Vietnam and Nepal.

Michael Weinstein, President – AIDS Healthcare Foundation in his
congratulatory message said "What a great honor.  We are all brimming
with pride. We don't do this work for the glory, but recognition such
as this only confirms the importance of what we do.  Lal, on behalf
of the entire AHF family, please accept my hearty congratulations.
May this medal spur you to new heights of achievement - for when you
achieve - so many people benefit. I know that this will be the first
of many honors that you will receive for your contributions to
humanity."

Dr Chhim Sarath, AHF Cambodia Cares – Country Program Manager said
with pride " This recognition not only honor the leadership of Dr
Chinkholal Thangsing but the entire family of AHF and this is truly
an encouraging, inspiring and great motivator. I am very happy and
proud for this is a wonderful day for us all in Cambodia. We are
highly inspired and we shall do better and be a stronger team".

In 2005, AHF signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the
Ministry of Health, National Centre for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STI
Control (NCHADS) and Ministry of Defence, Preah Ket Mealea Hospital
of the Royal Government of Cambodia to collaborate and provide a
comprehensive HIVAIDS treatment, care and support program in
Cambodia. Currently, AHF Cambodia Cares operates at 11 sites. The
programs focused on technical and financial assistance ensuring the
provision of high quality ART treatment and management services and
strengthening of continuum of care services, networks and partnership
with collaborators and all  relevant stakeholders. The sites are
Preah Ket Mealea, Kampong Thom, Kampot, Stung Treng, Koh Thom, Romeas
Heik, Pear Reang, Kirivong, Ang Roka, Sampov Meas and Oddar Meanchey.
Today, this landmark collaborative program provides life saving
services to over 6000 patients.

About AHF
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the US' largest non-profit
HIV/AIDS healthcare, research, prevention and education provider.
AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to over 950000
patients 23 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin
America/Caribbean and Asia Pacific. Additional information is
available at www.aidshealth.org

About AHF/Cambodia Cares

AHF Cambodia Cares ART centers provide testing, psycho-social support
services and anti-retroviral treatment including both pediatric and
second-line treatment. The facilities provide comprehensive HIVAIDS
care and treatment and holistic services, and serve as one-stop shops
for people living with HIVAIDS (PLWHAs). Currently AHF Cambodia Cares
serves the Cambodian people through 11 centers and caters over 5000
people with HIVAIDS working with NCHADS and other local and
international stakeholders,

In the Asia/Pacific region, AIDS Healthcare Foundation currently
provides free anti-retroviral treatment services to people in need
through its clinics in Cambodia, India, Thailand, Viet Nam, China and
Nepal.

Hi forum,

Re: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AIDS_ASIA/message/1466

I sometime think they do not forget it but the way of perpetrating, applying,
and interpreting.

I do learned they care of "leadership and accountability" in particular only
when they wanted more and more participation of affected community on board but
when it becomes an reality, which mean the community have a strongly commitment
and share their concern their inputs unwelcomed.

To me "leadership and accountability" mean "the affected community must take
lead and have power to make their own decision".

But so far the leadership and accountability remains a problem or big challenge.

Thanks that we brought this topic in this forum but by charting on the eforum, I
don't think it enought.

We need to bring them to the real table and discuss openly among the government,
civil society organizations, policymaker, and donors representative.

Cheers

Mony Pen
e-mail: <pmony24@...>

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY, Fiji School of Medicine,

COORDINATOR : Pacific HIV & STI Research Centre

FSMed is an institution that is sensitive to the unique needs of the
Pacific and the cultural and environmental issues that affect the
lives of the communities of the Pacific.  FSMed is committed to the
enhancement of research capacity within its organisation and the
promotion of this role in the Pacific. This is a senior academic
position. It will be reporting to the Director of Research and
supported by University of New South Wales partners.

Job Purpose

The Coordinator will have responsibility for establishing, building
and managing the Pacific Centre for HIV and STI Research in
accordance with the requirements of the funding agreement/s for the
Centre.

Key Responsibilities – Please refer to the FSMed website for a
detailed Job Description.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential
• Postgraduate degree in Public Health, Sociology or other related
discipline.
• Evidence of active HIV, STI or related research interests
• Good understanding of Pacific culture
• Demonstrated success at management of people and organisational
resources
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Experience in preparing applications for research funding.
Desirable
• PhD in Public Health, Sociology or other related discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to the research development of
early career researchers, and postgraduate and honours students.
• Experience in budgeting for research projects
• Able to work independently and exercise initiative

Salary Range :-   Senior Research Fellow $55,708 - $66,000 p.a.

Application forms are available from our website at www.fsm.ac.fj (soon to be
uplinked)  or from the Human Resources Secretary, FSMed, Brown Street, Suva,
Fiji.

Printed, electronic or faxed versions of the completed application
forms, your curriculum vitae and certified photocopies of original
certificates, together with the names of three professional referees
must be received no

later than 18th February, 2009 and sent to :-

The Human Resources Manager,
Fiji School of Medicine,
Private Mail Bag, Suva.
Phone: (679) 3311 700 - 3321 933  Fax: (679) 3303 469
Pasifika Campus, Hoodless House, Tamavua Campus,
_____________________

Dr Catherine Spooner
Senior Research Fellow- International Program
National Centre in HIV Social Research
University of New South Wales

Telephone:
- in Sydney +61 2 9385-6052
- in Fiji +679 836-1064
- in Indonesia +62 81-388-037-110
Skype: cate.spooner
http://nchsr.arts.unsw.edu.au/
e-mail: <c.spooner@...>

Dear Colleague
 
Abstract submission for the 5th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment
and Prevention (IAS 2009) - to be held in Cape Town, South Africa, 19-22 July
2009 is open online.
 
As the fifth conference in this series, IAS 2009 will continue its strong
emphasis on basic, clinical and biomedical prevention science. For the first
time, the scientific programme will include a fourth track on Operations
Research. This newest feature underscores the need to closely evaluate the
individual and societal impact of the roll-out of HIV treatment and prevention
programmes throughout the world.

Abstracts may be submitted in one of four tracks:

Track A: Basic Sciences
Track B: Clinical Sciences
Track C: Biomedical Prevention
Track D: Operations Research
 
Click here to submit your abstract:
http://www.ias2009.org/subpage.aspx?pageId=355
 
Abstract submission guidelines, programme tracks and other abstract related
information are available here:
http://www.ias2009.org/mainpage.aspx?pageId=334
 
The Abstract Mentor Programme allows less experienced abstract authors to
request assistance of more experienced authors:
http://www.ias2009.org/subpage.aspx?pageId=344
 
The abstract submission deadline is 25 February 2009, midnight, Central European
Time (CET).
 
IAS 2009 is organized by the International AIDS Society (IAS) in partnership
with South African-based NGO, Dira Sengwe. The last IAS Conference on HIV
Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, held in 2007 in Sydney, Australia,
attracted 5,500 participants from over 125 countries.
 
Click here for more information about the conference www.ias2009.org
 
Sincerely,
IAS 2009 Conference Secretariat
International AIDS Society - Geneva, Switzerland
 
5th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2009)
19-22 July 2009 Cape Town, South Africa
e-mail: <info@...>

Dear FORUM,

Re: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AIDS_ASIA/message/1466

This is an important reflection, but I have to say that a lot of the AIDS
movement, among civil society and also governments and the UN, forgot the
meaning of these words (leadership and accountability).

The saddest part of it is to see people from the community who use power in the
worst way possible and to see how some people "exchange" the ideology of justice
for a small project.
 
I am really worried about the sustainability of the AIDS movement...

Gracia Violeta Ross

LAC NGO Alternate Representative UNAIDS PCB
LAC Developing Countries NGO Delegation, GFATM Board

Tel 591-2-2777464, Cel 591-70678041 and 591-71950085
Casilla (PO Box) 498, La Paz- Bolivia
graciavioleta@..., violetitaross@...
Skype user id violeta.ross

Dear FORUM,

Re: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AIDS_ASIA/message/1466

Frika Chia's reflfection on Leadership and Accountability in HIV response is
indeed a thought provoking discussion.

But, I also have a different view about leader. I think every person having
leadership quality are not qualify as leader.

In my view "someone who facilitate leadership into others is a leader/ Leader-
who develop leaders".

Leader become a mentor to the following leaders.

The distinction between leader and dictator is very fine. Dictators does not
develop leader neither they allow others during their privileged tenure.

As well as mentor is far away from experts and consultants. Mentor does not wait
for any invitation.

Many of our seniors expressed their frustration for not finding new
leadership in HIV response.

Don't you think this is somehow was their accountability.

Yes, accountability to thyself, how much efforts one made to make a leader.

Sakiul Millat Morshed
e-mail: <ed.shisuk@...>

Leadership and Accountability – Personal Reflections.

“Leadership can be thought of as a capacity to define oneself to others in a way
that clarifies and expands a vision of the future”, Edwin H. Friedman

“Whoever is providing leadership needs to be as fresh and thoughtful and
reflective as possible to make the very best fight”, Faye Wattleton

Leadership and accountability is a really interesting subject for me.
How could we define leadership?  As simple as I can think of, leaders are the
people who are in the frontline and require people to follow.

Leadership and accountability...
I let the words sink in and start thinking about it.
There are a couple of ideas and there are a couple of points of views.
But I would like to remind everyone that there’s no right point of view.

“This is what I read from a book, it says: There is a conventional or popular
point of view

There is a personal point of view
There is a large point of view which the majority shares
There is a small point of view which just a few shares
But there’s no right point of view
You are always right, you are always wrong
It just depends on which pole you are looked at

But it also says: Advances in any field are built upon people with the small or
personal point of view.”

I would like to share with you some of the opinions that I have, from the
community background and from my own experience.
I sometimes wonder-

what are the characteristics needed to be a leader?
As someone who’s been working in the HIV/AIDS field for more than 7 years now, I
have had experience in leading a few projects and am currently coordinating a
network. I looked at the short biographies written about me too, and people
describe me as a leader
in this field. I do reflect…. Am I?

The points of view that I’m going to share now were inspired from talking to
people, from readings, from discussing with my mentor and with my friends.

I’m not trying to convince you that my point of view is correct…
This might not be a new idea, this might be something that you have been
thinking all the time and I’m here to unpack it from a different point of view.

One of the recommendations from Commission on AIDS in Asia mentioned:  ‘AIDS
programmes should be implemented through well-defined and Efficient governance
structures that are backed by strong political Leadership and meaningful
community involvement’, page 11, Redefining AIDS in Asia, CAA report.

The recommendation mentioned about leadership and involvement. I would like to
share with you my thoughts on this.

One thing I know is that I want leaders who are accountable for there actions.
Leaders who I can hold accountable. Not only in terms of financial and money
matters, but also in terms of promises; a leader that would create the
opportunity for the others, especially the ones whose voices are unheard or who
are ignored.

My other word associations in relation to leaders are: right attitude, the right
willingness, the right way of thinking – critical thinking….

To see it practically, I want to see that there’s a space where people can ask
the questions so that there is transparency; a means of communication where the
right to ask and the right to be heard is implemented.

It comes down to this: being brave enough to take on the responsibility and
along with this responsibility should come authority-the authority to contribute
and change and of course, the willingness to be accountable.

For me, these are the components of leadership.
For these leadership components to be put in practice, there needs to be a
platform – critical mass (we will need to have the media, the tool – the
platform for us to exchange ideas; space to have the right to speak and the
space to express the right to ask questions – the platform to exercise
accountability)


If all of these components are on the right track, change will happen. By having
awareness of the implications of change…. we are allowing the accountability to
happen.

Leadership doesn’t mean being hierarchal- that you are having people bowing to
you.

Leaders motivate, initiate, inspire and make things happen.
Not necessary doing all the things, this requires, having the followers (the
mass).

My point of view would be, in the HIV and AIDS field, we need new leaders and
new ideas, maybe young leaders but it is not necessary to have young people
(youth) all the time.

But it’s important to start seeing the potential of investing in the (young)
leaders, the new ideas, the new blood into the response. Start opening up, so
that there is no exclusivity.

It is time for change.

Now, the next question would be, how are the people who have been in this AIDS
response for tens of years, to actually create the demand for young leaders?

I mentioned this in one of the panel sessions at the International AIDS
Conference in Mexico. Understanding the art of letting go, understanding the art
of giving – which some of us might
see as mentoring (the art of giving, sharing and letting go, from both
sides/both parties – the young leaders and the mentor) Contributing to the life
cycle of the AIDS response.

Some groups/people out there surely are ready to take it up.

Maybe the demand is already out there, from the new young leaders, but it is a
lack of willingness from the seniors that is not there yet… or perhaps, the
demand or pressure from the young leaders is not there yet… this is how we
actually create it…

I’ll try to give you an example: as someone who’s in this fight for 20-30 years,
how do you start unpacking your box of knowledge to the 10 year old child who,
20 years from now, will be the one who is in charge in this field?

Getting people to understand the key word: accountability (from as young as
possible) Accountability means exercising the right to speak, and exercising the
right to ask.


It’s a two way street.

Accountability also means having to take on the responsibility, along with that
given the authority (having the privilege to change something), responding to
help to answer and to let people ask the questions.

Let’s think about this word more: accountability. Sometimes we take the word for
granted.

When we talk about accountability, the next question would be: who are we
accountable to?

We are accountable to the people we serve.

Government: to understand and know who they are accountable to?
Private sectors: to understand and know who they are accountable to?

UN: to understand and know whom they are accountable to?
As well as NGOs, as well as Community, to understand and know to whom we are
accountable to.

Then after that comes the task of identifying the new leaders.

The new, (young) leaders are out there…. Individuals who might already have the
elements and the right attitudes needed.

We need to open our eyes, our ears and our hearts to see, listen and to let them
come.

Next stage: having the platform.

In order for these new leaders to be able to function, a platform needs to be
created.

The critical thoughts and awareness.

And in the future and with the modern technology – which internet and technology
are expanding, we should start to see more potential in utilizing the platform
of communication in the virtual world.


There are benefits and disadvantages of communicating through the internet
though.

However, we can always use different kind of methods: face to face, on line,
interviews.

Maybe the next question might be: where do the mentors come from?

We surely have great people working in the AIDS field now… who soon will be
ready to retire or move on to other fields, so we need to grab people who are
experts in other field outside the AIDS world who have fresh ideas and can
challenge and contribute to the response.

Once we have all the elements:
The attitude, having accountability (responsibility and authority comes with
that), having the leaders, having the platform/critical mass (communication
platform and the people) and…. We are in the entry point of being accountable.

You have the right to ask and You have the right to speak.
This way, we are keeping the idealism and ideas alive.

Regards,
Frika

"Where ... do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home -- so
close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Such are
the places where every man,woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal
opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have
meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere.",Eleanor Roosevelt


Frika Chia
e-mail: <frikachia@...>

HIV strains in Bangladesh

Recent research at ICDDR,B (www.icddrb.org) in Bangladesh looked at viral
isolates from 272 HIV-1 positive patients, of which subtyping revealed 41% to be
the most common type – subtype C. Analysis suggests that these subtype C
strains were introduced to Bangladesh from different parts of the world.
Although most of the subtype C strains obtained from injecting drug users were
closely related, the strains obtain from other patients were heterogeneous.
These data suggest that injecting drug users were not frequently transmitting
HIV to other at-risk populations. As Bangladesh is at the early phase of the HIV
epidemic, intervention programmes for those most-at-risk of infection should be
further strengthened to prevent a major epidemic.

National HIV surveillance in Bangladesh indicates that the HIV prevalence among
most-at-risk-population groups (sex workers, injecting drug users, males having
sex with males) is less than 1%.

However, the data regarding diversity of HIV strains and patterns of
transmission in Bangladesh are limited. Subtype data are important because the
major challenge in controlling AIDS lies in the diversity of HIV and its
enormous evolutionary potential. Gene sequence data can also be used to identify
the geographical origin of local HIV strains and their relationships with each
other and with global HIV strains.

ICDDR,B has been working to characterize Bangladeshi HIV strains by sequencing
their gag genes. During 1999–2005, blood samples positive for HIV were
collected through three different sources:

HIV surveillance which obtains samples from injecting drug users, female sex
workers, transgenders, men who have sex with men, heroin smokers, and patients
with sexually transmitted infections from different parts of the country.
Surveys which obtains samples from TB patients attending two TB clinics or
hospitalized in a TB hospital in Dhaka.
Samples collected from clients attending the voluntary counselling and testing
unit in ICDDR,B, Dhaka.

Genetic analysis revealed revealed a high similarity among 84% of the 31
Bangladeshi samples obtained from injecting drug users, which were similar to
strains described in the GenBank database from female sex workers in India. The
remaining 5 isolates obtained from injecting drug users were better matched with
Ethiopian and South African strains. The strains among patients seen in the
voluntary counselling and testing unit were diverse, and were similar to HIV
strains circulating in India, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. Five strains from female
sex workers were closely related to each other with more than 95% identity but
not to the other 2 strains from female sex workers. Among 7 strains isolated
from female sex workers  only 1 was similar to a strain from an injecting drug
user. Two of the heroin smokers had identical strains (100%), which best matched
strains from injecting drug users (99%). The strain from 1 patient with a
sexually transmitted infection was 100% identical to a strain from female sex
worker.

A phylogenetic tree was constructed which included the Bangladeshi strains with
reference HIV strains from different geographical regions available in the
GenBank database. Most of the isolates from injecting drug users (n=26)
clustered very closely together with Indian strains with the exception of 4
strains clustering with Ethiopian and South African strains. Isolates from other
most-at-risk populations did not show the same degree of homogeneity. For
example, the isolates from sex workers were mapped to different branches with
Chinese, Zimbabwean and South African isolates. Transgender isolates clustered
with either Chinese or Indian strains. The single isolate from a Bangladeshi TB
patient clustered most closely to an isolate from the United States. Strains
from the voluntary counselling and testing unit were scattered throughout the
phylogenetic tree and shared common origin with strains from different countries
like India, Myanmar, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. The clustering pattern of the HIV
strains suggests that there was very little overlap in the strains obtained from
injecting drug users and those from other Bangladeshi most-at-risk populations.
Phylogenetic analysis also indicated that some isolates from families clustered
suggesting that clients transferred the viruses to their wives and children.

Of the 70 clients from the voluntary counselling and testing unit, 77% reported
that they worked abroad. The other 16 were presumed infected from individuals
who had worked abroad (12 were wives and four were children of HIV-positive
migrants). The majority of the migrants had travelled to Saudi Arabia and UAE
while others worked in India, Nepal, Malaysia and Singapore. All migrant workers
reported buying sex from women while abroad. Genetic analysis confirms that the
HIV-1 strains from some of these migrant workers were most similar to HIV-1
strains from the countries where they worked. These findings suggest that the
HIV-1 infections in migrant workers were acquired while working abroad.

For further information on this study, or on other HIV research at ICDDR,B,
contact
Dr Tasnim Azim,
Head, HIV/IDS Programme and Virology Laboratory
ICDDR,B
tasnim@...

For further information on other public health research at ICDDR,B, contact

Jo Grzelinska
Communications
ICDDR,B
jo@...

Regional Advisor STD/HIV/AIDS,  World Health Organization South East
Asian Regional Office (SEARO)Dr. Iyanthimala Abeyewickreme

Dr. Iyanthimala Abeyewickreme , Senior Consultant Venereologist and
former Director, National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP),
Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition will be assuming duties as the
Regional Advisor STD/HIV/AIDS at the World Health Organization South
East Asian Regional Office (SEARO) in New Delhi later this month.

After training at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield UK from
1982-85 under the guidance of Dr. George Kinghorn, an internationally
acclaimed genito-urinary physician. She joined the National STD
Programme (as it was then known) in 1985 as a medical officer,
proceeding to become a Consultant Venereologist in 1992.

In 1997 she assumed duties as the Director, of the National STD/AIDS
Control Program (NSACP). Her tenure as Director, saw the NSACP reach
its heights as a premier public health programme in the country.

As Director she has worked closely with other national programmes in
the health sector dealing with blood transfusion, health of the
mother and child, media and communication, tuberculosis and medical
research, and partnered with the corporate sector as the Founder/
convener of the Herpes Study group in association with Glaxo
Smithkline of Sri Lanka.

She has served on many Committees and Boards related to the sphere of
Venereology including the Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS, Law and
Ethics of the Centre for Policy Research and Analysis, University of
Colombo, the Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases and the
Medical Devices Subcommittee of the Ministry of Health.

She has been the Secretary to the National AIDS Committee (NAC) of
Sir Lanka (1998 to 2004), Secretary and member of the Legal and
Ethical Issues Subcommittee on HIV /AIDS and a member of the
subcommittees on Laboratory and Surveillance, Clinical Care and
Counselling of the NAC.

She has further served the Ministry of Health as a member of the
Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases and the Medical Devices
Subcommittee and provided technical assistance in the area of
STI/HIV/AIDS to other national level public health programmes
including that for the Control of TB and Chest Diseases. She has
served as the Honorary Consultant Venereologist to the Military
Hospital of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces from 1994 to 1997.

She has represented the country at many regional consultative
meetings related to the control and prevention of STI/HIV/AIDS
including the SAARC regional consultation on HIV AIDS Trafficking and
drugs and UNAIDS regional meetings. She has been a Visiting WHO
Scholar to the STD Control Branch, South Australian Commission and
Royal Adelaide Hospital, and the Siriraj Hospital and Chulalongkorn
University in Bangkok, Thailand.

Undoubtedly her most outstanding contribution is the pivotal and lead
role she played in the establishment of the College of Venereologists
in 1998 to advance the speciality, which led to the establishment of
the Board of Study in Venereology at the Postgraduate Institute of
Medicine (PGIM), University of Colombo.

This not only ensured that the Ministry of Health would have adequate
numbers of specialists to deal with the emerging HIV /AIDS epidemic
but further opened up a new path for professional advancement of
young doctors.

Today, the Board of Study in Venereology conducts courses conferring
a Diploma and the degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD) in the specialty.

She has served as the Chairperson of, the Board of Study in
Venereology and has served as the Chief Examiner for the Diploma and
MD examinations. In 2004, Dr. Abeyewickreme was elected a Fellow of
the Sri Lanka College of Venereologists in recognition of her
outstanding contribution to the speciality.

Her expertise in the sphere of STI/HIV/AIDS has been recognized both
regionally and internationally. She has been a member of the
International Scientific Committees for the XI and XII AIDS
Conferences held in 1996 and 1998 and a referee for scientific papers
on the Epidemiology and Public Health Aspects of HIV/AIDS. She has
served as a WHO Temporary Advisor for Expert Consultations on
Improving the management of STI, Geneva (2001), and a WHO short term
technical advisor on STI/HIV/AIDS to the Government of Bangladesh
(2004).

She has been a Temporary Advisor for workshops on developing HIV
estimates and projections, and teaching on TB and HIV/AIDS in
Thailand and in STI management in Myanmar. In 2005/2006 she was a WHO
short term professional in STI/HIV Prevention, at the South East
Asian Regional Office (SEARO) assisting in the strengthening of
skills of general practitioners in the region in the management of
STI/HIV/AIDS. Most recently, she was a temporary advisor, WHO Geneva
on the revision and updating of STI surveillance and management
guidelines. She has authored and co-authored many publication in the
area of STI/HIV /AIDS.

She has contributed to the body of scientific knowledge by making
oral and poster presentations at local and international conferences
and publishing in peer reviewed journals both locally and
internationally on diverse topics including aspects of HIV/AIDS,
therapy for Herpes genitalis and congenital syphilis, a topic of
personal interest. In 2003, she contributed a chapter
titled `Emergence and impact of HIV /AIDS in Sri Lanka' at the
invitation of the Harvard AIDS Institute to the book AIDS in Asia
that was published to coincide with the 2004 International AIDS
Conference in Bangkok.

She is a life member of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) the
oldest medical professional body in South East Asia and has served as
a Council member (1996), Assistant treasurer (1997), Assistant
Secretary (1998) and Vice President (2004). Since 1992, she is a
member of the International Union Against Venereal Diseases and
Treponematoses and was a Co-chair Track B at the 8th International
Conference on AIDS in the Asia Pacific (ICAAP) held in Colombo in
2007.

She is also a life member of the Sri Lanka College of Community
Physicians and the Sri Lanka Women's Public Health Network. She was
chairperson of the SLMA Expert Committee on Communicable Diseases and
HIV for many years.

http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/01/14/news22.asp

One killed, Pakistan's dancing girls flee Taliban

Dean Nelson, Mingora, Pakistan, January 13, 2009

PAKISTAN'S celebrated dancing girls are fleeing in fear of their
lives as Taliban militants increase their strength in the North-West
Frontier Province.

The bullet-riddled body dumped in the centre of Mingora's Green
Square sent two clear messages to people in the Swat Valley's largest
town: "un-Islamic vices" will no longer be tolerated, and the Taliban
are effectively in control.

The woman, known only as Shabana, was found slumped on the ground,
strewn with banknotes, CDs of her dance performances and photographs.
Local Taliban commander Maulana Shah Dauran broadcast a warning on
one of the group's radio stations: his men had killed her and if any
other girls were found performing in the city's Banr Bazaar they
would be killed "one by one".

The last of the bazaar's dancing girls, many of whom had trained
under Shabana's wing and lived in her house, were seen loading their
belongings on to trucks and fleeing to the relative safety of Karachi
and Lahore at the weekend.

The banishment marks a key turning point in the battle for the Swat
Valley between Taliban militants and Pakistan's army. It followed
recent orders to close girls' schools, shut shops selling music and
films and stop barbers shaving beards.

The dancing girls' performances had been one of the city's
last "vices".

More than 1000 girls have fled, though some who remained said Shabana
had paid the price for defying the Taliban's mullahs and that she had
ignored warnings to stop the performances and the training of young
dancers

http://www.theage.com.au/world/one-killed-pakistans-dancing-girls-
flee-taliban-20090112-7f8e.html

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Registration is open for this year¢s International AIDS Candlelight
Memorial Programme. Please visit
http://www.globalhealth.org/forms/candlelight/community/2009/
where you can register free of cost.

All registrants will be receiving a coordinator packet including
a manual with guidelines on organising and fund raising, posters, web space to
post event details, opportunities to participate in leadership and exchange
activities, and membership to the campaign's global coalition.

The Memorial Program which started in the year 1983 is being
coordinated internationally by the Global Health Council, since 2000.

Today the memorial has grown to be the largest grassroots level event in the
global response to HIV. For the Candlelight Advocacy Platform the council has
identified the following key areas this year:

Reducing Stigma & DiscriminationEnsuring Access to Treatment, Prevention &
CareIncreasing Resources for HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis and Other Related
IssuesPromoting Greater Involvement by Affected Communities

Memorials range from small community vigils to multi-day national
commemorations. In addition to remembrance, many coordinating organizations use
the Candlelight Memorial as an opportunity to promote local AIDS services,
encourage education and community dialogue, and advocate for the advancement of
public policy. Memorials often include lighting of candles, marches, speeches,
dramatic performances, spiritual and cultural rituals, and a safe space for
interaction and community engagement.

Thanks and Regards,

Nabeel.


Dr Nabeel M K
E-MAIL: <drnabeelmk@...>

The Australian Medical Association's (AMA) seeks sex lessons for 10-year-olds

Jill Stark, January 11, 2009

EXPLICIT sex education could be compulsory for children as young as
10 under radical proposals to curb Australia's "alarmingly high" rate
of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection.

The Australian Medical Association's state budget submission,
obtained by The Sunday Age, urges that mandatory, comprehensive sex
education be introduced into all state schools. Topics such as anal
sex, mutual masturbation and date rape would be part of the
curriculum, and terminology such as "f--k" and "blow job" would be
used in classes. The AMA also wants graphic pictures of infections,
such as herpes and genital warts, to be shown to warn pupils of the
dangers of unprotected sex.

Opponents fear the classes could "traumatise" young children who are
not emotionally equipped to understand explicit material.

However, the AMA says a frank approach is urgently needed as the
incidence of chlamydia among 15 to 19-year-olds has doubled in five
years. Gonorrhoea and syphilis are also on the rise and the AMA says
16 per cent of 16 to 19-year-old girls say they have had an unwanted
pregnancy.

Victoria has an ad hoc system of sex education, with the content and
timing left to individual schools. Some offer comprehensive programs
from late primary school and others leave any discussion until year
10. Private schools are under no obligation to teach sexual health
classes.

Victorian AMA vice-president Zoe Wainer said it was too late to begin
sex education after children were sexually active, arguing it must be
taught before puberty.

"We need to stop pussyfooting around with language," Dr Wainer
said. "We need to make it really clear what we're talking about. If
we're discussing the risk of sexually transmitted infections through
fellatio, we need to make sure that these young people understand
we're talking about blow jobs.

"We need to talk about what chlamydia is, how herpes is contracted,
the risk factors for anal sex, vaginal sex, oral sex. We need to
teach young people that some people can carry STIs without exhibiting
symptoms.

"In some circumstances the use of educational images will be
appropriate, for example to show older teenagers the effects of
sexually transmitted infections."

The doctors' group is calling for $20 million over four years to help
train teachers in a trial involving up to 50 government schools. Sex
education would be taught at ages 10, 12 and 14, with more explicit
material being delivered to the older age group. Parents would be
kept informed by receiving the information at the same time via
online programs and could withdraw their children from the classes if
they felt uncomfortable.

Australia's teenage pregnancy rate is among the highest in the
developed world, five times greater than in the Netherlands — the
country with the fewest teenage mothers.

Kit Fairley, professor of sexual health at the University of
Melbourne, supported the AMA plan and also called for condoms in
school vending machines.

"Parents need to understand that sex education in schools is of
benefit to their children. It does lower teenage pregnancy rates, it
does not increase them, and it does not encourage people to have sex
at an earlier age. The way parents protect their children is by
making sure they're informed," he said.

Susan Sawyer, director of the Centre for Adolescent Health at the
Royal Children's Hospital, backed sex education in primary school but
said "scare tactics" such as graphic images of STIs were unlikely to
change sexual behaviour.

The AMA plan is likely to face strong opposition from parents who
feel it is their role to teach their children about sex, according to
Parents Victoria spokeswoman Elaine Crowle.

"The age is the concerning matter, because while some children at 10
are quite open and receptive to that sort of information, for others
it's far too early and it goes straight over their heads," she said.

Australian Childhood Foundation head Joe Tucci said 13 would be a
more appropriate age to begin sex education classes.

"Using such graphic images and language could traumatise some young
people. An 11-year-old might not understand those terms and could be
embarrassed and confused. It's too much, too early," he said.

The plans come as the British Government prepares to make sex
education compulsory in state schools from grade one.

By 2010 a new curriculum will ensure that by the age of seven
children can name reproductive body parts and understand that animals
reproduce.

Family Planning Victoria has called for a similar system here
starting from prep. Dr Wainer said the AMA curriculum would also
focus on relationships and sexual coercion to ensure children knew
that being pressured into sex was unacceptable.

A spokesman for Education Minister Bronwyn Pike said all submissions
received would be given due consideration.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/ama-seeks-sex-lessons-for-
10yearolds-20090110-7e1m.html?page=-1

[Editors note: According to earlier media reports, Malaysian authoritis are
supposed to implement Mandatory pre-marital HIV screening for Muslims from early
2009. Are they still going ahead with this plan?]

Malaysia: Mandatory pre-marital HIV screening for Muslims

Updated: Thursday December 18, 2008 MYT 8:13:02 PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Beginning next year, all Muslim couples will have to
undergo a mandatory screening for HIV before they get married.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the HIV
screening would be a part of the premarital course.

He said the measure was in line with the Government's objective to
reduce the incidence of HIV infection among women, which he added was
on the rise. "Next year, we will make it mandatory for all states to
impose the HIV screening as part of the premarital course," he told
reporters after chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Aids
at Parliament on Thursday.

Currently, a few states have made it mandatory for couples to undergo
the HIV screening prior to getting married. These states include
Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Sabah, Sarawak and Selangor.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?
file=/2008/12/18/nation/20081218162727&sec=nation

Dear All

Mr. Sunil Pant, Member of Parliament of Nepal has been nominated as the
Monette-Horwitz Awardee of this year.

In a letter addressed to Mr. Sunil Pant the tust official Mr. Winston Wilde
indicated that he will be personal handing over the award to Mr. Pant in Nepal.
Mr. Wilde's e-mail to Sunil Pant follows.

Congraluations to Mr. Sunil Pant from AIDS ASIA e FORUM
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AIDS_ASIA/
______________

Dear Sunil Pant,

We of the Monette-Horwitz Trust are honored to congratulate you as one of the
Awardees of this year 2009. The heroic efforts you have made toward eradicating
homophobia are being acknowledged this year and beyond by our humble Trust. In
addition to a little added
internet publicity for you, the award is accompanied by a statuette and a small
stipend of US$2,500.

As luck will have it, I'm going to be in Nepal next month, and would be so
honored to give these to you in person. I would like to invite you and a few
friends out for a meal, anywhere you'd like.

My treat. I plan to arrive in Kathmandu sometime around the 23 of February. In
all of the years I've been giving these awards out, I've never done it in
person: this would be the first time.

Thank you so much for the great work you are doing.

Sincerely,

Winston

Winston Wilde

Monette-Horwitz Trust
e-mail: <docwilde@...>
http://www.monettehorwitz.org/about.html

Canada: Racism undermines HIV-AIDS prevention and treatment

Jess McDiarmid, Dalhousie Gazette Assistant News Editor

Racism, religion, stigma and the taboo surrounding sex are among the
key factors that have led to a lack of HIV/AIDS information and
essential services in Nova Scotia's black communities, says
Dalhousie's chair of black Canadian studies.

"You've got agencies that have been accused of being racist, agencies
which are staffed by people who don't look like the individuals
they're trying to service, agencies which have… stereotypical ideas
about black people and tend to reflect those stereotypes in
practice," says David Divine. "That leads to difficulties."

Stigma surrounding homosexuality and HIV/AIDS, as well as
societal 'taboo' of sex in general, has resulted in a lack of vitally
needed openness to discuss the disease in black communities, suggests
Divine.

"When you've got all these in the melting pot, in addition to
historical dis-servicing of certain people because of colour, then
you have got a toxic mix," he says.

Divine's project, which falls under Nova Scotia's HIV/AIDS strategy,
is designed to raise awareness of the disease and increase black
people's trust in HIV/AIDS agencies. But the first task, he says, is
to generate discussion about the disease within black communities in
Nova Scotia.

"Issues aren't being addressed and they need to be," says
Divine. "They're not discussing and [are] operating in silence."

People who need to know about HIV/AIDS are not getting access to
information, people who need services aren't getting them, and people
lack confidence that their personal information will be kept
confidential, Divine says.

Members of some black communities in Nova Scotia have travelled to
Toronto to be treated for HIV, rather than risk having their identity
revealed in Nova Scotia, he says. "And that is simply not
acceptable."

Divine will meet with health-care workers, community leaders and
residents in one of the province's black communities this month to
talk about health concerns, including HIV/AIDS, for the first step of
the project.

"It's very important to broach the subject in this way because if you
had a specific session on AIDS and HIV and asked people to come to
it, chances are you wouldn't get very many. That's the reality here
in Nova Scotia," says Divine. "That's because of the toxic mix,
particularly the stigma relating to AIDS and HIV."

Larry Baxter, chair of the Nova Scotia Advisory Commission on AIDS,
says the provincial strategy on HIV/AIDS, announced in 2003, lacked
input from black communities.

"We did recognize that that was a weakness of the strategy and that
we needed to do more work," he says.

Part of Divine's mandate involves finishing consultations with black
communities and taking the first steps toward improving access to
information.

Baxter and Divine both stress that stigma and difficulty in broaching
the subject are not unique to Nova Scotia's black communities, and
exist in all of society.

The strategy, says Baxter, targets a variety of vulnerable groups,
not just black communities, but also women, aboriginal people,
prisoners, intravenous drug users and young gay males.

HIV/AIDS already exists in black communities in Nova Scotia, says
Baxter, but there isn't any public discussion about the disease in
some areas.

Denial and a lack of information are the main reasons why these
communities remain closed-lipped about the disease, he says.

"In some cases we lack the epidemiological data to indicate that
there is a trend going on in certain communities, especially small
communities," he says.

Nationally, just over two per cent of Canadians are black, yet black
people account for more than 20 per cent of HIV infections.

"We do know from our experience with AIDS over the last 20 years that
when you see a trend happening nationally, it's only a matter of time
before that trend is an issue we have to deal with here in Nova
Scotia," says Baxter.

"HIV is an illness that has affected, will affect, and continues to
affect African Nova Scotian communities."

Divine likens the process of triggering discussion about the disease
to treading on eggshells. "Sometimes you go three steps forward and
10 steps back," he says.

"But at the end of the day, the critical thing is to make sure
individuals who want information about AIDS/HIV, who need to have
information about AIDS/HIV, perhaps need to access service relating
to AIDS/HIV, can do so without stigma, shame or fear."

http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/home/Frontpage/2009/01/08/02991.html

AFGHANISTAN: HIV-positive patients to get ARV therapy for first time
07 Jan 2009 11:40:30 GMT

Source: IRIN
Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this
article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are
the author's alone.

KABUL, 7 January 2009 (IRIN) - Forty of the 504 people diagnosed with
HIV/AIDS in Afghanistan will be provided with standard antiretroviral
therapy for the first time, as efforts are made to boost control of
the killer disease, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has said.

"We expect WHO [the World Health Organization] to have imported ARVs
[antiretrovirals] by the end of January. We will give them to 40
already identified patients," Saif ur-Rehman, head of the national
HIV/AIDS programme at the MoPH, told IRIN.

"We have earmarked US$50,000 for the initial procurement and will
allocate more in future," Rehman said. The country is introducing the
ARVs thanks to financial assistance from various donors. In addition
to the 504 HIV-positive cases, a further 2,000-2,500 are suspected of
carrying the virus nationwide.

The MoPH said the 40, who were selected on the basis of their
HIV/AIDS status, needs and other criteria, will also receive guidance
on how to use the drugs.

Three antiretroviral drugs will be used to suppress the virus and
stop the progression of AIDS, according to WHO. "Huge reductions have
been seen in death rates and suffering when use is made of a potent
ARV regimen," it said.

The drugs will be freely distributed - initially in Kabul and Herat
provinces - and more patients could be entitled to them in future.

Dispensation will be determined in consultation with WHO and
international NGOs. Health workers will be trained to supervise
treatment.

ARVs are unaffordable for the vast majority of those with HIV/AIDS,
health officials say. ARVs are not generally available, and it is
difficult to determine - because of stigma surrounding the disease -
whether people living with HIV/AIDS have access to ARVs via the
private sector.

Afghanistan launched its national HIV/AIDS control programme in 2003
and has received pledges of over US$30 million from donors up to
2013.

Potential for HIV spread

Afghanistan is a relative latecomer in terms of introducing ARVs to
fight HIV/AIDS. The number of formally registered cases is among the
lowest in the world, but the potential for further HIV infections is
there: armed conflict, lack of awareness of HIV/AIDS, lack of access
to basic social services such as education and health, rising
intravenous drug addiction, and the poor social status of women,
experts say.

"We want to tackle the existing gap between real and suspected HIV
cases by 2010 so as to draw up appropriate plans and implement
relevant projects," Rehman said.

Health workers said there was no room for complacency as the disease
could spread quickly, as it has in some other poorly developed
countries.

MoPH officials and aid workers note donor efforts but say limited
technical capacity to make best use of the funds is "a major
challenge". Many are hoping the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS
(UNAIDS) will fill the national capacity building gap. UNAIDS plans
to open an office in the country in 2009.

ad/at/kn/cb
© IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis:
http://www.IRINnews.org

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/88bb9d68e4e37e29c5d79c40
6fc55265.htm

Vietnam: The Far Away From Home Club

HIV Prevention and Policy Implementation Feedback for Migrant and
Mobile Populations in the Mekong River Delta, Viet Nam

5 January 2009

Viet Nam's rapid economic development and growth over the last decade
has resulted in increased levels of mobility both within the country
and across its borders. Large infrastructure and development projects
coupled with industrial growth have encouraged young people and
workers from all over the country to move to major cities and
provinces.

However, in areas of rapid economic development and increasing
internal migration, factors such as separation from family and
communities and harsh working conditions contribute to an increased
vulnerability of migrants and mobile populations to HIV and other
sexually transmitted infections as they engage in unsafe behaviours
such as unprotected sex and injecting drug use.

Additionally, as HIV prevention and health care services are not
specifically targeted towards migrants and mobile populations these
groups tend to have poorer access to such services. This is
especially true for migrants and mobile people who are often not
registered as residents in the area where they work.

The migrant population includes female sex workers, migrant workers
on construction sites, industrial and exporting zones and workers at
river ports and bus stations.

Since its designation as an Industrial and Processing Zone in 2002,
Can Tho province, in the south western region of the country, has
stood out as a magnet destination for migrant workers as it is the
largest city in the Mekong River Delta. The number of HIV cases in
Can Tho has also increased at least ten fold, from 73 in 1997 to 733
in 2006.

In 2004, the Canada South East Asia Regional HIV/AIDS Programme
initiated a project with the Can Tho Department of Labour, Invalids
and Social Affairs and the Can Tho Trade Union to undertake HIV
prevention activities with migrants working as casual labourers,
truck drivers and sex workers. The project established the Far Away
From Home Club, which aims to provide a supportive and empowering
environment for sex workers and other migrant workers in Can Tho City.

It is estimated that there are 1100–1600 female sex workers in Can
Tho province, of whom 400–500 are street-based sex workers; the same
authorities place the number of people who inject drugs between 2200–
2500.

Peer education

The Club empowers members of mobile populations such as sex workers
and internal migrants by providing life-skills training focusing on
HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, on AIDS, public
speaking skills, gender and sexuality, stigma and discrimination.

A core team of 10 peer educators (five sex workers and five migrant
workers) have supported over 60 Far Away From Home Club members; they
have received and shared information and skills that reduce their
likelihood of exposure to HIV. These members return to their social
networks and informally share their knowledge with their peers.

One of the main achievements of the project has been to ensure the
confidentiality of all of those who seek help and support from the
group. The assurance of complete anonymity and confidentiality has
encouraged more sex workers and migrant workers to access health
services through the referral of the Club members and peer educators.

In particular, referrals were made to a variety of clinics that
provide confidential and accessible services for mobile populations,
including treatment of sexually transmitted infections voluntary
counselling and testing, and general health check-ups.

The club touches the lives of hundreds of migrants and mobile people
every month through their engagement of the private sector in
workplace interventions or its outreach activities at hotspots for
direct and indirect sex workers.

Involving migrants and mobile populations and empowering them to
advocate for access to HIV services for their peers has been crucial
to the success of the programme. Furthermore, its ethical soundness,
relevance and effectiveness have made the project a successful
component of the HIV prevention strategies and a reference work
targeting migrants and mobile populations

http://data.unaids.org/pub/Report/2008/20081121_jc1567_vietnam_en.pdf

Understanding the politics of HIV policies

Author: C. Dickinson; K. Buse
Publisher: HLSP Institute, UK, 2008

HIV has always been highly politicised, and in many contexts
politics, ideology and ignorance have proven more influential on
policy than epidemiology or technical best practice. Despite this,
there has been limited analysis of the political determinants of HIV
policy formulation and implementation.

Based on an analysis of peer-reviewed literature, this technical
paper published by the HLSP Institute, attempts to answer the
following questions:

which institutions, interests and ideas account for HIV policy change?
which actors are typically involved in policy development?
what incentives underpin policy positions?
what political strategies and tactics have been employed to drive
policy change?

The key findings presented include the following:

despite the political nature of HIV policy, there is surprisingly
little published analysis of the political determinants of HIV policy
in low- and middle-income countries
the literature suggests that no single determinant can explain HIV
policy but that it emerges from a unique interaction and
configuration of institutions, ideas and interests
analysis which identifies the political obstacles and opportunities
to evidence-informed policy should constitute a core feature of every
national HIV response

[adapted from author]

Available online at: www.eldis.org/go/topics/resource-guides/hiv-and-
aids&id=41150&type=Document

Request for Proposals. Announcement HIV CF Southeast Asia , 4th Grant Cycle.


Dear Friends,

The HIV Collaborative Fund for Southeast Asia is now requesting proposals for
the 2009-2010 cycle of funding from organisations seeking support for
community-based HIV treatments advocacy and education programs.

Funding is geographically limited to Thailand , Laos , Cambodia , Vietnam ,
Indonesia , Myanmar , the Philippines and Malaysia .

Any community-based or nongovernmental organisation from these countries working
on HIV treatments education and advocacy and related issues is invited to apply
for a grant. Grants are provided for a program of up to one year with a maximum
of USD 10, 000 for individual organisations and up to USD 20 000 for joint
applications of two organisations or more. If your organisation is less than one
year old, the grant amount requested should be between USD 3000 and 5000. The
total amount of funds to be distributed in Southeast Asia is USD 200, 000.

If you have received previous grants from the HIV Collaborative Fund, your
proposal must show that your project is progressing and that you are moving to a
new level of work with innovation or a new aspect rather than continuing the
same project.

Please include a statement with your proposal on how you will expand your scope,
demonstrate your projects's success and what your longer term goals are.

The overall objective of this program is to improve access to HIV treatment for
those who need it through treatment literacy and advocacy.

The priority objectives for projects are:

Improving access to treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS including
treatment education, information, and preparedness for ARVs and OIs

Overcoming stigma and discrimination toward people with HIV/AIDS and/or
vulnerable populations at risk for HIV, including  women, drug users, MSM (men
who have sex with men), sex workers, youth and mobile populations (this will
assist efforts to increase treatment access for affected communities)

Capacity building and strengthening the development of PLHIV organizations and
other key partners (this will increase the ability for these groups to undertake
treatment access projects)
Supporting projects that focus on advocacy for vulnerable groups, for example:
advocacy related to harm reduction or human rights.
 
The inclusion of people living with HIV and/or of people at risk of HIV
infection in project development and implementation is an essential criterion
for funding.

The HIV Collaborative Fund is a community funding mechanism that is driven by
the expertise of people living with HIV and their advocates. It is the major
project of the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC). In each
funding region of the world, Regional Advisory Committees (RACs) set funding
priorities and determine how funds are disbursed through a peer-reviewed
application process. During the first, second and third round, the fund
supported nearly 60 local NGOs, CBOs and PLHIV groups in the Southeast Asia
Region.

ITPC is the primary global coalition of people living with HIV/AIDS and their
supporters dedicated to advocacy to ensure access to quality HIV/AIDS treatment,
care and prevention services.
 
Tides, a U.S.-based public charity, facilitates the international and local
grant making processes.

The project can last for up to one year starting from June 2009-May 2010, but
shorter projects will also be considered. If you are interested in the
Collaborative Fund, you will need to consider the following documents:

*Request for Proposals – Announcement
*Request for Proposals – Proposal Form
*Request for Proposals – Application Guide
*Proposal Budget Template
 
If you would like to receive these documents, please send an e-mail to Mr.
Pathompong Serkpookiaw at Pathompong@....

We are looking forward to hearing from you. Please also contact Mr. Serkpookiaw
if you need any further information or clarifications.
 
Deadline for submission: 6 February 2009
 
About the HIV Collaborative Fund: www.hivcollaborativefund.org
About ITPC: www.itpcglobal.org
About Tides: www.tides.org
 
Shiba Phurailatpam

Regional Coordinator, Southeast Asia ITPC – HIV Collaborative Fund
On behalf of the ITPC Southeast Asia Collaborative Fund Community Review Panel
 
Shiba
e-mail: <shiba@...>

What about UNAIDS's internal justice mechanism? Is there any mechanism with in
UNAIDS mechnism "to ensure highest standards of integrity" and internal justice
?
_______________________

UN fails to reform internal justice

27 Dec 2008/ The Weekend Australian. Andrew Higgins Steve Stecklow

A US-BACKED drive to curb misconduct at the UN is faltering, blighted
by bureaucracy and accusations of retaliation against whistleblowers.

Launched in 2005 with advice from US officials, the reform was
supposed to protect UN employees who exposed wrongdoing. The UN
pledged this would ensure the `` highest standards of integrity''.

Since then, the organisation has been hit by numerous allegations of
misconduct, from claims UN peacekeepers in Congo traded guns for gold
with rebels to accusations of corruption by employees in Kosovo.

Instead of a streamlined system, the UN has set up eight ethics
offices, each with its own guidelines, deadlines for claims and
jurisdiction. Other parts of the UN, including an ombudsman's office,
also handle allegations of misconduct.

`` The UN isn't serious about cleaning up its act,'' said James
Wasserstrom, a former UN official in Kosovo who, after becoming a
whistleblower last year, was placed under investigation by the UN. A
25-year veteran of the UN, Mr Wasserstrom, an American, was cleared
of any wrongdoing and recently filed a retaliation complaint with a
UN appeals panel.

The UN, he said, `` uses the whistleblowing program to get its most
ethical staff to stick their heads above ground in order to chop them
off''.

The organisation denied this. The UN was `` very, very diligent in
pursuing'' wrongdoing, said Angela Kane, the organisation's under-
secretary-general for management. She said there had been a `` great
culture change''.

The UN declined to discuss individual cases of whistleblowers. On the
issue of misconduct in general, it said a number of senior officials
had been punished after reports of wrongdoing by colleagues.

Canadian lawyer Robert Benson said that when he arrived at the UN in
May last year, he assumed his New York-based Ethics Office had
jurisdiction over the entire organisation. But he soon learned it
oversaw only the UN secretariat.

`` I wasn't a student of the United Nations,'' Mr Benson said. ``
Would it be better to have one office? Absolutely.''

The UN said it had no plans to consolidate the various ethics
bureaus, but it was finalising one set of ethical standards to be
followed by all its agencies.

The UN has been dogged for decades by complaints of corruption and
lack of accountability. Pressure for change rose sharply after a 2004
scandal over the UN-administered oilfor-food program in Iraq.

Then secretary-general Kofi Annan initiated a series of reforms,
including a rule that UN officials must disclose any gifts worth more
than $US250 ($365). The previous limit had been $US10,000.

The UN also set up Mr Benson's office to foster `` a culture of
ethics, transparency and accountability''.

Unlike other organisations with operations around the world, the UN
is not typically subject to national laws and has its own internal
justice mechanism. This system, dating from the 1940s, consists of ad
hoc panels and the appeals board, a tribunal staffed by UN officials.

A group of legal experts convened by the UN in 2006 declared the set-
up `` outmoded, dysfunctional and ineffective''. The UN promised to
replace it with a new system staffed by professional judges.

It is supposed to start next month but judges have yet to be
appointed. The UN blames this in part on member states, which delayed
approving rules that would govern the arrangement.

http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/viewer.aspx#

What Lies Behind the Fall in the HIV Population in India?

Arvind Pandey, D C S Reddy, M Thomas

Arvind Pandey (arvindpandey@...) and M Thomas  (mariat@...)
are at the National Institute of Medical  Statistics, ICMR, New Delhi. D C S
Reddy (dcsreddy@...) is with  the World Health Organisation, New Delhi.

Commentary DECEMBER 27, 2008 EPW Economic & Political Weekly

The availability of multiple data sources and new methods of  estimation
resulted in a more accurate estimate of the HIV population  in India in 2006. A
critical review of the data and methods used in  the past and current estimation
processes is offered in this article.

The number of HIV-infected adults and children in India in the year  2006 has
been estimated as 2.5 (2.0-3.1) million, down from 5.7 (3.4-9.4) million in 2005
(UNAIDS 2006). The steep downward revision in the estimate is attributed to the
availability of multiple data sources and a new method of estimation.

The revision has generated mixed reactions – relief as well as scepticism (Bagla
2007; IANS 2007) and led to a plethora of queries about the process and factors
that resulted in the lower estimate. A critical review of data and methods used
in the past and current estimation process may provide clarity on these issues.

Method and Data

The size of population and prevalence among each category of risk groups are
essential data for estimating the number of infections among adults in the
population.

The major high risk behaviour groups (HRG) are female sex workers (FSW),
injecting drug users (IDU), clients of FSW and men having sex with men (MSM).

The spouses of the aforementioned groups are categorised in the low risk group
(LRG), representing the general population. As a majority of HRG are hidden and
inaccessible, their size is generally estimated through specific surveys and/or
mapping exercises.

The HIV prevalence among them is determined by assessing their HIV status under
targeted intervention approaches. On the other hand, clients and spouses are
dispersed in the community and form part of the general population. Their size
is determined by subtracting the size of HRG from the national and/or
sub-national projected population. Only properly designed population- based
surveys can  provide reliable estimates of HIV prevalence in this group.

HIV Estimation until 2005 India started estimating the number of HIV infections
in 1998 under a broadly consultative procedure (Pandey et al 2007). The
consultative group in 1998 suggested using sexually transmitted disease (STD)
prevalence as the basis to estimate the size of the high risk behaviour
population.

It was further extrapolated to males and females of urban and rural areas, again
based on the consensual assumption for the urban-rural differential in STD
prevalence. The size of HRG was determined by multiplying the STD prevalence
with the projected population of the corresponding year. The size of the general
population, male and female in urban and rural areas, was derived after
subtracting the said HRG population from the total projected population.

The HIV Sentinel Surveillance (HSS) data had been the only source available for
estimating HIV prevalence. It was confined to antenatal clinic (ANC) attendees,
STD patients and IDUs. HIV prevalence amongst the first two groups was taken as
the proxy for the general population and the high risk sexual behaviour groups
respectively.

Since the ANC sites were mainly located in urban areas, consensus assumptions
were made to extrapolate the prevalence among men and the rural population.

Infections among children were derived from the expected number of HIV
prevalence among pregnant women and probabilities of vertical  transmission and
survival. The state level estimates were aggregated to arrive at the national
estimate and the method was called the worksheet approach. The assumptions were
revised in 2003 as more data became available, but they never  validated with
the community-based population representative surveys.

Over time, the HSS was expanded geographically as well as for other  HRGs, FSW
and MSM, and state-wise mapping and size estimation of HRG were also undertaken.

With the availability of data, these groups were also incorporated as
independent entities in the estimation process. However, the STD  patients were
not withdrawn under the assumption that they still represented the clients and
that the size estimates for HRG were incomplete.

This led to chances of double counting of HIV positives in the estimation
process. Based on a study in Guntur district, Dandona et al (2006) observed that
there the common practice of referral of HIV-positive/suspected cases to public
hospitals and a preferential use of public hospitals by people in the lower
socio-economic strata caused overestimation of the HIV burden in India.


HIV Estimation in 2006

The year 2006 presented a landmark when data from multiple sources  became
available. The third round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS- 3), which
incorporated HIV testing, enriched the data availability in 2006 for the general
population.

The survey provided HIV prevalence in the general population and  female- male
and urban-rural ratios for each of the five high  prevalence states (Andhra
Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur,  and Tamil Nadu) individually and for
the remaining states together.

These data were used to calibrate HIV prevalence rate among ANC attendees and to
validate the assumptions. Data generated through the Integrated Biological and
Behavioural Assessment (IBBA) survey among HRG and clients in the six high
prevalence states was used to validate the HSS results for HRG.

Further, the World Health Organisation (WHO)/United Nations AIDS (UNAIDS)
workbook (Walker et al 2004) formed the worksheet anchor. Given the same inputs,
both the approaches were found to generate the same results.

In 2006, the general population and HRG (including FSW, MSM, IDU) and long
distance truckers were included for estimation. The STD population was dropped,
while inclusion of HRG and truckers was considered important to account for
missing (mobile/hidden)
Population in community-based surveys.

The HIV prevalence rates among ANC attendees in HSS were adjusted for intra and
inter-state variations by applying mixed-effects logistic regression models,
using SAS version 9.1.3 (SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina). The adjusted HIV
prevalence estimates were then calibrated against the same in NFHS-3 before
entering into the workbook.

In order to obtain the trend estimates with the new method, point estimates were
computed for five years starting from 2002. The trend estimates of HIV
prevalence among ANC attendees for previous years had also been adjusted for
inter-and intra-state variation and then calibrated to the NFHS-3 results.

The projection of adult HIV prevalence for the period 1985-2010 was generated by
fitting a logistic curve to the five-point estimates.

Numeric results of the curve were then entered into the "Spectrum" (Stover et al
2006) to derive the epidemic curve for all ages.

For this, additional data such as population distribution, fertility rates,
migration as well as uptake of antiretroviral treatment and prophylaxis for
prevention of mother to child transmission were inputs into the model.

The number of infections in all ages (adults and children) in 2006 was estimated
to be 2.5 million.

What Caused the Reduction?

The HSS was initiated with the objective of monitoring trends. These data,
though, comparable over time, cannot be generalised even for all women. This
limits their use in estimations. For example, over four fifths of antenatal
clinic attendees are in the age range of 20-29 years, sexually more active and
have had  unprotected sex. The HIV prevalence observed among them is likely to 
be high and not representative of HIV prevalence among all adult women.

Further, low utilisation of antenatal services, particularly in the public
sector facilities where the HSS are mostly located, also contribute to poor
representation of antenatal clinic data as clearly brought out by Dandona et al
(2006) in their study in Guntur district.

For this very reason, in 15 out of 20 countries of Africa where demographic and
health surveys (DHS) were undertaken, the HIV prevalence in the DHS survey was
lower than that was estimated among ANC attendees in HSS (Gouws 2006). The use
of such exaggerated HIV prevalence to all women and men, in turn, inflates the
estimate.

A community-based study in Cambodia also observed that though HIV prevalence in
ANC data can be used for estimations, it suffers from the limitation of
overestimating the infection in younger age groups (Saphonn et al 2002).

Despite recognising this limitation, the use of HIV prevalence among ANC
attendees in HSS continued without correction as evidenced by the results of
some community-based studies in Tamil Nadu (Thomas et al 2002; Kang et al 2005)
which matched with the results of HSS in the state.

In retrospect, it was realised that these studies had low power and were
conducted either by cluster sampling or by camp approach, which probably led to
exaggerated HIV prevalence.

Secondly, continued use of STD population as a risk group even after inclusion
of FSW and MSM in the estimation process also pushed the estimates upwards in
the past. The assumption that they stood proxy for clients is not tenable
because, as mentioned earlier, the HIV prevalence among clients and their
spouses is encompassed in general
population prevalence.

Inclusion of this group, therefore, led to double counting. Further, the HIV
prevalence rates documented in STD sites of HSS  were also exaggerated because a
large proportion of the STD sites were located in tertiary hospitals, which
mostly receive referred and chronic patients.

A comparison of HIV prevalence rates between the STD sites located in medical
colleges and those in district hospitals has demonstrated this point.

NFHS-3 covered a sample of over 1,02,000, for an assumed prevalence rate of
0.9%. Now that they have a much smaller prevalence rate, about one- third of the
assumed value, many people question the validity of these results. It is common
knowledge that an estimate lower than the one assumed for sample size
calculations increases the error bounds rather than invalidates the results.
These  errors are accounted for in the range provided around the estimate.

On the other hand, the proportion of the sample from low prevalence states is
considerably small. As a result, one calibration factor had to be developed for
all the low prevalence states together. This is expected to mask the magnitude
of difference in the estimate of HIV prevalence between the states and the range
of the estimate will be
much wider in these states.

In order to facilitate comparison, estimates were derived for five years
starting from 2002 and it is found that the epidemic is stable at the national
level, although at the state level some high prevalence states showed a decline
and some in the low prevalence areas showed an increase in the epidemic.

  However, the decline was significant only in Tamil Nadu. Further, in several
districts of high and low prevalence states, HIV prevalence among ANC women was
more than 1%.

The new emerging areas with high HIV transmission have been identified. The HIV
prevalence among IDUs remains stable. This abundantly makes it clear that the
lowered estimate does not indicate a decline in the epidemic but a correction 
for some incongruities in the data and in the previous method of  estimation.

References

Bagla, Pallava (2007): "Don't Be Misled on AIDS", Times of India, New
Delhi, 10 July.

Dandona, L, V Lakshmi, T Sudha, G A Kumar and R Dandona (2006): "A
Population-Based Study of Human Immunodeficiency Virus in South India
Reveals Major Differences from Sentinel Surveillance-Based
Estimates", BMC Medicine,
4:31.

Gouws, Eleanor (2006): "Comparison of Country Level ANC Prevalence in
Household Surveys and ANC in South India", paper presented in the
meeting of WHO/UNAIDS Reference Group on Estimates, Modelling,
Projections, held in Prague, Czech Republic, 29 November-1 December.

IANS (2007): "Experts Challenge New India HIV Estimate", Indo-Asian
New Service, Yahoo! India News.htm, 7 July.

Kang, G, R Samuel, T S Vijayakumar et al (2005): "Community
Prevalence of Antibodies to Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Rural and
Urban Vellore, Tamil Nadu", National Medical Journal of India, 18(1): 15-17.

Pandey, Arvind, M Thomas, D C S Reddy, Kant Shashi and M Bhattacharya
(2007): Indian Journal of Public Health, January-March.

Saphonn, V, L B Hor, S P Ly, S Chhuon, T Saidel, R Detels
(2002): "How Well Do Antenatal Clinic (ANC) Attendees Represent the
General Population? A Comparison of HIV Prevalence from ANC Sentinel
Surveillance Sites with a Population-Based Survey of Women Aged 15-49 in
Cambodia", International Journal of Epidemiology, April, 31(2): 449-55.

Stover, J, N Walker, N C Grassly and M Marston (2006): "Projecting
the Demographic Impact of AIDS and the Number of People in Need of
Treatment: Updates to the Spectrum Projection Package", Sexually Transmitted
Infections, June, 82 (Supplement 3), iii45-50.

Thomas, K, S P Thyagarajan, L Jeyaseelan et al (2002): "Community
Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Infection in Tamil Nadu, India: A Probability Proportional to Size Cluster 
Survey", National Medical Journal of India, 15(3):135-40.

UNAIDS (2006): Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, UNAIDS/06.13E,
Geneva.

Walker, N, J Stover, K Stanecki, A E Zaniewski, N C Grassly, J M
Garcia-Calleja, P D Ghys (2004): "The Workbook Approach to Making
Estimates and Projecting Future Scenarios of HIV/AIDS in Countries
with Low Level and Concentrated Epidemics", Sexually Transmitted Infections,
August, 80 (Supplement 1) i10-13.


http://www.epw.in/uploads/articles/13010.pdf

INVITATION  AIDS ASIA e FORUM.

Hi,

If you are already a member of this FOURM please forward this message to your
colleagues who may find this FORUM useful.

[AIDS ASIA eFORUM] is an e- forum committed to the development of an Asian
perspective on AIDS prevention and care issues. HIV/AIDS does not recognize
national boundaries. As Asia- pacific countries are increasingly interconnected
through migration and trade, it is imperative to generate a regional perspective
on HIV/AIDS related issues.

A forum for critical analysis of issues, events and programs, which has
implications on, our ability to address HIV/AIDS prevention and care issues
across the region. More than 7,600 subscribers are using this FORUM.

Strategic HIV information and communication support to promote the capacity of
Asian leaders, activists and people living with HIV/AIDS, to facilitate their
engagement and networking, to highlight their experiences and the solutions they
are offering to address HIV/AIDS issues in this region.

A cross cultural discourse on issues and concerns of Asia- Pacific countries
(regions): Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China,
East Timor, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Laos, Malaysia, Marshall
Islands, Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, North Korea,
Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon
Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and
Viet Nam will be presented and promoted on this forum.

Please review the archived messages on the following url

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AIDS_ASIA/

Dr. Joe Thomas
Editor
AIDS ASIA e FORUM
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AIDS_ASIA/