HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care and Support : Stories from the Community

It is estimated that by the end of 2002, there were over 8 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the Asian and Pacific region, of whom 2.6 million are aged between 15 to 24 years. A number of development and socio-economic issues are key to the spread of the disease in the region, including poverty, gender inequality, low levels of education, population mobility and a lack of access to basic services and to information on the disease. This publication explores these dynamics by considering a number of community programmes and initiatives that have been developed in response to the challenges of HIV/AIDS. These stories highlight the importance of breaking social, cultural and religious barriers to dispel myths about the disease, and the need for effective partnership working between all aspects of civil society.