SRH and HIV/AIDS Linkages at Policies, Programmes and Service ...

INTRODUCTIONThe 2009 AIDS Epidemic Update Report by the Joint United Nations Programmeon HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that theepidemic is stabilizing but at “unacceptably high levels.” Globally, an estimated 33.4million people are living with HIV in 2008, with the annual number of new HIVinfections declining from 3 million in 2001 to 2.7 million in 2008. Although the rateof new HIV infections has declined in several countries, the favourable effect of thistrend is partially offset by the increasing new infections in other countries.The Report of the Commission on AIDS in Asia for 2008 indicates that the percentageof HIV positive women has risen from 19% in 2000 to 24% in 2007. The feminizationof the AIDS epidemic with an increasing rate of HIV prevalence amongst womenand girls is a growing concern. Figures from UNAIDS show that the risk of infectionis increasing for women everywhere and the virus is spreading fastest among youngwomen below the age of 24--women who are at the peak of fertility. In Asia, wherethe virus is spreading rampantly through heterosexual intercourse, infected youngwomen are gaining in number.The extremely high rates of HIV infection amongst women of childbearing age in someparts of the world, particularly with regard to mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) is ofgreat concern. MTCT is by far, one of the largest sources of HIV infection in childrenbelow the age of 15.Despite policy support and operational frameworks, the programmatic actions to linkor integrate reproductive health and HIV/AIDS have lagged behind because of barriersat policy, programme and service delivery and community levels.With support from UNAIDS and WHO, ICOMP has brought together an audience ofkey players from governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and otherstakeholders in Asia-Pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa in a Symposium on Linkages of HIV/AIDS and RTI/STIs Prevention with SRHR held during the 5 th Asia Pacific Conference onSexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (17-20 October 2009). Five sub-themeswithin Track 4 of the conference promote and reinforce the linked approach message,touching on issues that have the highest impact to stem the epidemic in Asia and thePacific.A panel of speakers deliberated on issues and areas that bear the greatest relevanceto support linkages of HIV/AIDS and RTI/STIs prevention with SRHR. The symposiumwas chaired by Dr. Nafis Sadik, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General, andSpecial Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Asia. The speakers were (i) Mr J V Prasada Rao, UNAIDSRegional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific; (ii) Dr Michel Mbizvo, Director, WHODepartment of Reproductive Health and Research; (iii) Dr Wasim Zaman, ExecutiveIntroductionⅲ