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Reports
AIDS
in Asia and the Pacific
A summary of the topics discussed at the 1997 Fourth International Congress on
AIDS in Asia and the Pacific. Themes included “Why is HIV spreading in Asia
and the Pacific?" and “How are we dealing with the problem?.” Written
by Praphan Phanuphak, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine and microbiology at
Chulalongkorn University and director of the Program on AIDS of the Thai Red
Cross Society.
Accelerating
an AIDS vaccine for developing countries
A report from a World Bank sponsored meeting with Thai policymakers on how to
accelerate the development of an AIDS vaccine for developing countries.
Strategies are discussed about how to push for an effective and affordable
vaccine and how to reduce the time gap between discovering the vaccine and
making it accessible to the poorest countries.
HIV
Transmission in Nepal
This short article addresses four key factors in the transmission of AIDS in
Nepal. It looks at problems of the sex trade, local prostitution, migrants and
the lack of proper screening of blood banks.
AIDS
in India: The Unspoken Destruction
Sameer Chopra, board member of VISIONS worldwide, discusses AIDS in India and
the problems of high-risk groups, the lack of AIDS education, and the marginal
efforts to stop the disease. He sees cooperation between the government (NACO)
and NGOs on educational policy as the key step in saving India from the spread
of AIDS.
AIDS
in India and its Potential Impact on the Tibetan Refugee Community
Though the spread of AIDS has exploded in India, Spencer Seidman writes that it
has yet to be felt in the Tibetan refugee community
in India and Nepal. Though these communities often live in remote areas, Seidman
argues that their potential for infections still exist. He points to several
risk factors including blood supply, lack of access to HIV barrier
contraceptives, migrant work, and substance abuse.
The
Status and Trends of HIV/AIDS/STD Epidemics in Asia and the Pacific
This report summarizes the analysis and recommendations from a 1997 symposium
called “The Status and Trends of the HIV/AIDS/STD Epidemics in Asia and the
Pacific.” Provides a helpful background on regional epidemic patterns and key
risk factors.
HIV/AIDS
IN ASIA: Without Further Action, A Looming Public Health Crisis
A short report by the World Bank that predicts that “with 60 percent of the
world's population, Asia will come to dominate the HIV picture in terms of total
numbers infected.” Though the statistics are old, the article provides a
general overview of the spread of HIV in East Asia and South Asia.
Overview
of Epidemics and Interventions in China
A collection of articles addressing AIDS in China. After a brief overview of the
epidemiology of AIDS in China and in Asia, there are sections on women’s
vulnerability, intervention strategies, Chinese culture and sexuality, and
lessons learned about societal barriers that prevent effective intervention
programs.
Research
Relating to AIDS Intervention in China
A collection of articles on AIDS intervention in China. There are several
sections including health education, sexual behavior, family planning, and more.
Working
Experience Relating to AIDS Intervention in China
A collection of articles on working experience relating to AIDS intervention in
China. Subjects include condom promotion, training in AIDS education,
prostitution, telephone hotlines, and more.
The
Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic
David Satcher, M.D., Surgeon General of the United States and Assistant
Secretary, writes that “if the present warnings go unheeded, South Asia,
Southeast Asia, and, perhaps, China will follow the disastrous course of
sub-Saharan Africa.” In addition to education, volunteer testing, and
counseling, Satcher sees political commitment as essential so that policymakers
are not preoccupied just with traditional national security issues but instead
pay closer attention to the dangers of this epidemic.
A
tropical paradise wakes up late to AIDS-Sri Lanka
This article examines the “head-in-the-sand mentality toward AIDS” in Sri
Lanka and the need for more hands-on care and services for people living with
AIDS. Includes comments by people living with HIV/AIDS who are creating new NGOs
to help serve the community.
Fighting
AIDS in Asia
In this article by Clive Wing in The Act, the magazine of Action for AIDS
in Singapore, the author criticizes an AIDS conference in Chang Mai for its lack
of attention to culture and religion. Wing argues that it is not effective to
use a Western gay model when addressing the problem of AIDS in Asia and that
“what the organizers didn't get to grips with is that in Asia, our problems
are overwhelmingly societal.”
HIV
in Southeast Asia
Sarah Abrams writes in the Harvard AIDS Review about the varying pattern of the
AIDS epidemic in Southeast Asia. She explains that Thailand has had positive
results because of strong efforts to address the problem of AIDS among sex
workers while other Southeast Asian countries lag behind in their recognition of
the problem.
Passage
Through India: HIV Maps a Deadly Course
Jaya Shreedharr, a Madras-based physician and special correspondent for
Frontline, explains how the HIV crisis in India has become a “swirl of smaller
epidemics.” Shreedharr addresses the problem of AIDS among sex workers, drug
users, migrants, and homosexuals, and how the nation is responding.
HIV
Thrives in Ancient Traditions
Jaya Shreedharr, a Madras-based physician and special correspondent for
Frontline, examines the hijras, devadasis, and matas in India. The article
explains the sexual nature of all three groups and argues that certain ancient
traditions are helping to facilitate the present-day sweep of HIV through India.
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