The first draft of a Medium-Term Work Programme on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, presented to the fifth meeting of the ASEAN Task Force on AIDS in December 1977, is now being refined, taking into account suggestions from representatives of member countries in the Task Force.
The draft had been prepared by a consultant whose work was funded by UNAIDS and who visited all ASEAN countries and Cambodia to discuss with relevant govern ment officials and institutions on common needs and concerns to be addressed at the regional level.
The Work Programme will supplem6ht national capacities and strengthen regional capacity through cooperation among the member countries.
The broad objectives of the Work Programme include the prevention of HIV transmission, reduction of morbidity and mortality associated with HIV infection and AIDS, reduction of the social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS, and enlargement of the body of knowledge and experience in fighting HIV/AIDS among ASEAN countries.
The specific objectives of the Programme are:
To exchange information and experiences on national campaigns against HIV/AIDS;
To strengthen the capacity of various sectors for designing and providing HIV/AIDS education, prevention, care and support;
To strengthen collaboration of government organizations, NGOs and the private sector in national and regional programmes on HIV/AIDS: and
To cooperate in research on AIDS and its social, cultural, economic and medical aspects.
As a result of the implementation of projects in the Work Programme, the collective response of the ASEAN region to the problems and challenges posed by HIV/AIDS is expected to grow in strength. The Programme should also be able to supplement national initiatives and programmes and lead to a better understanding of issues related to the HIV/AIDS problem. Most important, there will be a wider response to the problems, involving more sectors more intensively.
Among the projects that have been identified for immediate implementation is a computerized networking for information exchange and dissemination among member countries.
Another project for immediate implementation involves strengthening collaboration among government organizations, NGOS, private sectors and communities in HIV/AIDS education, prevention and treatment.