What's New

Men who have sex with men are a key population in the global response to HIV. Global targets are for 95% of men who have sex with men to be reached by HIV prevention, diagnosis and treatment services by 2025. To monitor progress to these important targets, estimates of the number of men who have sex with men need to be as close to the true number as possible. 

This regional partnership meeting will examine the current state of transgender affairs, from health, to human rights, to policies, and discover models and strategies for advancing where we are, to where we want to be, leading to collective building.

The COVID-19 pandemic has starkly revealed the vast social, economic and health disparities experienced by trans and gender diverse communities even further. Trans people often delay or avoid seeking healthcare due to negative experiences of stigma and discrimination from health care providers. When they do seek healthcare, they report experiences of disrespect, lack of privacy and confidentiality and in many cases outright refusal of care. Additionally, trans people are experiencing increased difficulties getting access to hormones and gender-affirmative health care. 

The 2017-18 BDHS generates evidence on basic national indicators of social progress including fertility, childhood mortality, fertility preferences and fertility regulation, maternal and child health, and the nutritional status of mothers and children. It highlights the major changes that have taken place in Bangladesh’s demographic and health situation since 1993-94. As a major source of data for program monitoring, the 2017-18 BDHS provides information for monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the 4th Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Program (4th HPNSP) and the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to improve health services for the Bangladeshi population. This report provides estimates for 14 indicators of the results framework of the 4th HPNSP. Several indicators have shown steady improvements in child nutritional status and coverage of antenatal care and skilled delivery services over the years.

For the second year, global funding for tuberculosis (TB) research and development (R&D) surpassed US$900 million—this time, just barely, with US$900,964,590 spent on TB R&D in 2019. An optimist would emphasize that this figure represents the second highest level of funding for TB research ever recorded by Treatment Action Group (TAG) and the Stop TB Partnership. A realist would point out that funding for TB R&D continues to fall more than halfway short of the US$2 billion per year called for in the political declaration of the 2018 United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB (UN HLM).

This publication is the first of a series of Samoa Demographic and Health Survey Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (DHS MICS) 2019 20 reports to be published from the dataset of the DHS MICS 2019-20.  

In October 2020, there were 735 confirmed HIV-positive individuals reported to the HIV/AIDS & ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP). Twenty one percent (153) had clinical manifestations of advanced HIV infection at the time of testing. Ninety-six percent (704) of the reported cases were male. The median age was 28 years old (age range: 3-60 years old). More than half of the cases (52%, 379) were 25-34 years old and 28% (204) were 15-24 years old at the time of diagnosis.

The 2018-2019 Annual Report highlights progress made around the Asia Pacific Region to make the vision of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals a reality for women and girls. UN Women stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life, focusing on five priority areas: increasing women’s leadership and participation; ending violence against women; engaging women in all aspects of peace and security processes; enhancing women's economic empowerment. The report emphasizes these programming achievements which are made possible from collaboration and cooperation with valued partners and donors all teaming up for gender equality.

This technical resource builds on the recommendations and guidance in the Handbook and provides specific guidance to ensure the concerns and interests of women migrant workers are incorporated into National Action Plans on Ending Violence Against Women. It is noted that all of the recommendations in the Handbook for National Action Plans on Violence Against Women apply; this document serves only to focus on women migrant workers’ rights and needs. As such, in each section, considerations for addressing women migrant workers’ needs in national action planning are described. The recommendations in each section are also aligned with the Essential Services Package for Women and Girls Subject to Violence and the 16 Essentials for Quality Multisectoral Service Provision to Women Migrant Workers Subject to Violence.

This study on ICT VAWG was conducted from July to December 2019 in five Asian countries: India, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines and the Republic of Korea. In each country, the research looked at the manifestations of ICT VAWG, the measures (legislation, policies and programmes) taken by States and ICT intermediaries to both prevent and respond to it, and perceptions of civil society organizations (CSOs). Although this report is based on research conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it assumes greater relevance given how critical ICT has become in rethinking ways of communicating, working, conducting business, managing family life, and accessing services, facilities and justice.