
Guest moderator: Dr. Noeleen Heyzer
Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
The numbers of new HIV infections annually in Asia-Pacific have stabilized, yet HIV infections among women are on the increase. Of all HIV positive people in the region, the proportion of women living with HIV rose from 19 percent in 2000 to 35 percent in 2008. Similarly, prenatal transmission continues to rise, accounting for 5.1 percent of new infections in the Pacific in 2005.
The impact of HIV on women and girls is experienced more severely compared to male counterparts. Structural gender inequalities work to the detriment of women and girls, increasing their vulnerability to both the causes and consequences of HIV. A number of reinforcing factors place women in double jeopardy regarding their higher infection rates and greater impact of living with HIV. Read More...
Babae Plus, the first and only existing support group of women living with HIV in the Philippines was established in 2004. Their vision is to create An Independent Lead Organization of Empowered and Supportive Women Living with HIV/AIDS.
To reach the vision they have committed themselves to 4 goals, which include:
· Capacitate WHIV to address and respond to psychosocial challenges by the end of 2015
· Empower WHIV to ensure WHIV are economically contributing to family and community by the end of 2015
· WHIV and their affected families participate meaningfully in sustain SRH and PMTCT service in the national response
· By the end of 2015, WHIV are active partners to decrease sexual violence against women and children
...............Read More