The Federal Government chose World Health Day on April 7 to release its new international strategy for tackling HIV, entitled Intensifying the response: Halting the spread of HIV. The strategy, which has a strong focus on the Asia-Pacific region, will guide the government’s international aid agency AusAID in their efforts to halt and then reverse the spread of HIV by 2015.
According to the World Health Organisation and UNAIDS figures, five million people are living with HIV in the Asia-Pacific region and that number may double by 2020 unless efforts to prevent new infections are expanded.
Men who have sex with other men (MSM) have been identified as one of the key groups facing the highest risk of contracting the virus, and the government has promised to increase its prevention efforts in this area.
A report commissioned by the United Nations states that MSM may account for as much as half of all new HIV infections in Asia by 2020 compared with just 15 percent last year.
The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) has said they welcome the government’s strategy and hope it will lead to increased funding to intervene while the epidemics are still potentially controllable.
‘The government’s new strategy recognises that the rapidly escalating HIV infections among gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in all major cities in Asia are becoming the major driver of expanding epidemics in the region,’ said Don Baxter, Executive Director of AFAO.
‘Australia’s contribution to HIV funding and expertise in the Asia-Pacific region over the last decade has been considerable, but investment in gay/MSM programs has been minimal.
‘This new strategy should guide re-calibration of those investments.’
AusAID has already committed to an extensive study on MSM and HIV, however Mr Baxter says decisions on its recommendations need to be made rapidly.
‘The virus is not sitting around waiting for us all to get our act together,’ he said.
Priorities outlined in the new strategy include the integration of HIV prevention, treatment and care services into primary healthcare facilities and working to review and improve laws to prevent discrimination against people on the basis of HIV status or who are in high risk groups.
The full AusAID international development strategy for HIV can be seen at: http://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pdf/AusAIDHIVStrategy2009.pdf
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