What's New

At the 2011 United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS that took place in June in New York, Member States adopted a new Political Declaration which contained new targets to effectively respond to the AIDS epidemic. The 2011 Political Declaration mandates UNAIDS to support countries in reporting back on progress made towards achieving the new commitments. It also provides for the UN Secretary-General to report regularly to the General Assembly on progress achieved in realizing these commitments. The first case of HIV recorded in Samoa was in 1990. Since then, 24 cumulative cases have been reported. Currently, there are 11 living cases of HIV. Though this is a low prevalence, low testing rates (4-5%) indicate that there are many more cases likely undetected. The high prevalence of other STI’s (Chlamydia at 20.7% in 2017), is also a concern and pose risks for increasing HIV transmission.

At the 2011 United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS that took place in June in New York, Member States adopted a new Political Declaration which contained new targets to effectively respond to the AIDS epidemic. The 2011 Political Declaration mandates UNAIDS to support countries in reporting back on progress made towards achieving the new commitments. It also provides for the UN Secretary-General to report regularly to the General Assembly on progress achieved in realizing these commitments. The first HIV case in the Solomon Islands was in 1994. Since then, SI has had low HIV incidence each year. UNAIDS classified Solomon Islands as a low HIV prevalence country with an estimated prevalence of 0.002% that remained unchanged since 2010 (UNAIDS 2012). Despite the low incidence of HIV, data consistently show a high number of people infected with STIs across the country.

At the 2011 United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS that took place in June in New York, Member States adopted a new Political Declaration which contained new targets to effectively respond to the AIDS epidemic. The 2011 Political Declaration mandates UNAIDS to support countries in reporting back on progress made towards achieving the new commitments. It also provides for the UN Secretary-General to report regularly to the General Assembly on progress achieved in realizing these commitments. HIV in Timor-Leste is predominantly sexually transmitted with around 98% of reported cases resulting from homosexual and heterosexual transmission. The first case of HIV was identified in 2003, and the cumulative number of cases reported has grown to 725 as of December 2017, the estimates for the same period being 711.

At the 2011 United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS that took place in June in New York, Member States adopted a new Political Declaration which contained new targets to effectively respond to the AIDS epidemic. The 2011 Political Declaration mandates UNAIDS to support countries in reporting back on progress made towards achieving the new commitments. It also provides for the UN Secretary-General to report regularly to the General Assembly on progress achieved in realizing these commitments. Vanuatu consists of six provinces: Torba, Sanma, Penama, Malampa, Shefa, and Tafea. The data are collected from the national surveillance unit. Most of the indicators are relevant to the country, but we do not have any new data.

Every child should be given the best chance to start life healthy and free from preventable diseases. Mother-to-Child transmission to HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis can be effectively prevented by immunization, and screening and treatment of pregnant woman.  The Regional Framework for the Triple Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis in Asia and the Pacific 2018-2030 suggests a coordinated approach to delivering these interventions using the shared maternal, newborn and child health platform to achieve elimination.

This report presents the detailed findings of the survey and is an important step in the nation’s endeavour to gather and disseminate new data on childhood vulnerabilities. These data are essential for better understanding the prevalence and circumstances of violence against children and will inform a range of violence prevention, early intervention and response initiatives to enhance the protection of children in Lao PDR from all forms of violence. This will support implementation of the National Plan of Action on the Prevention and Elimination of Violence against Women and Violence against Children 2014-2020.

National AIDS Control Organization (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India) biennially undertakes HIV estimations through Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Medical Statistics. HIV Estimations 2017, the latest round, provides updated information on the status of HIV epidemic in India at national and State level on key indicators of HIV prevalence, annual new infections (HIV incidence), AIDS-related mortality and prevention of mother-to-child transmission. HIV Estimation 2017 (Technical Report & Fact Sheets) is a critical piece of evidence for HIV epidemic monitoring. The findings is useful for all stakeholders under National AIDS Control Programme to fine-tune their policy, implementation design and impact monitoring as country move ahead, collectively, to achieve the end of AIDS as a public health threat.

The primary objective of the 2017-2018 PDHS project is to provide the latest estimates of basic demographic and health indicators. Specifically, the 2017-2018 PDHS collected information on marriages, fertility levels and preferences, awareness and use of family planning methods, reproductive health, nutrition, maternal and child health, awareness and behaviour regarding HIV/AIDS, disability, migration, women’s empowerment, domestic violence, and other health-related issues. The study culminated in the writing of a final report after a long, laborious process of survey design, listing, training, fieldwork, data processing, and analysis.

Around the world, girls and young women are disproportionately affected by HIV. While there is limited evidence about the direct causal relationship between child marriage and HIV, many of the factors which put girls and young women at greater risk of HIV infection also put girls at increased risk of child marriage. Once married, child brides face profound health consequences as a result of their early marriage, and in some contexts, increased risk of HIV infection. There are therefore strong arguments for investing in girl-centred programmes which can simultaneously tackle the drivers of child marriage and new HIV infections among adolescent girls.

Following last year's 20th anniversary edition, the World Drug Report 2018 is again presented in a special five-booklet format designed to enhance reader friendliness while maintaining the wealth of information contained within. Booklet 1 summarizes the content of the four subsequent substantive booklets and presents policy implications drawn from their findings. Booklet 2 provides a global overview of the latest estimates of and trends in the supply, use and health consequences of drugs. Booklet 3 examines current estimates of and trends in the cultivation, production and consumption of the three plant-based drugs (cocaine, opiates and cannabis), reviews the latest developments in cannabis policies and provides an analysis of the global synthetic drugs market, including new psychoactive substances. Booklet 4 looks at the extent of drug use across age groups, particularly among young and older people, by reviewing the risks and vulnerabilities to drug use in young people, the health and social consequences they experience and their role in drug supply, as well as highlighting issues related to the health care needs of older people who use drugs. Finally, Booklet 5 focuses on the specific issues related to drug use among women, including the social and health consequences of drug use and access to treatment by women with drug use disorders; it also discusses the role played by women in the drug supply chain.