UNAIDS Asia-Pacific 
April 7th is World Health Day and this year the theme is depression. People living with HIV tell UNAIDS that depression is often a challenge they face, when first diagnosed with HIV.
Ayu Oktariani, is a 30 year-old mother living with HIV from Indonesia. She tells us her story of how she overcame depression after learning about her status.
(The views and opinions expressed in interviews or commentaries are those of the interviewees and contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of UNAIDS)
Ayushi Tripathi is a student at Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, a city in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
She explains that she comes from a family where talking about sex is taboo. “We never talk about it at home. Even seeing an advertisement about condoms is uncomfortable for my parents,” she said. But nonetheless, she was intent on attending a youth health workshop.
This week, she joined 27 other students for a three-day workshop to raise young people’s awareness of their sexual and reproductive health and rights. The training was led by the Dove Foundation, a youth-led organization based in Varanasi and supported by UNAIDS. The advocacy materials used were developed by the PACT, a global coalition of 25 youth networks working on HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
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UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador and Singer Chalatit Tantiwut (Ben) supports campaign
BANGKOK, 2 March 2017— The Ministry of Public Health of Thailand, the Thai Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (TNP+) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) launched a campaign to promote Zero Discrimination in health-care settings. Popular Thai singer and UNAIDS National Goodwill Ambassador for Thailand, Chalatit Tantiwut (Ben) participated in the event, which took place at the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Disease Institute in Nonthaburi.
The Prince Mahidol Award Conference brought together international leaders in public health to discuss high-priority health issues in Bangkok, Thailand. The 10th annual gathering was held under the theme “Addressing the health of vulnerable populations for an inclusive society” and took place from 29 January to 3 February.
BANGKOK, 24 January 2017—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the AIDS Data Hub, a regional data analysis team, have launched a mobile application called AIDSDataHub. The app features strategic information including UNAIDS Snapshots: HIV epidemic in Asia and the Pacific which is an interactive report with links to videos, colourful infographics and bite-size information on the HIV epidemic and response in countries, as well as on key populations at higher risk of HIV in Asia and the Pacific.
More than 500 researchers, health care workers and community groups from all over the world are participating in the 19th Bangkok International Symposium on HIV Medicine 2017 which is taking place in Bangkok, Thailand from 18-20 January. Read More
GENEVA, 18 January 2017—UNAIDS has presented Professor Peng Liyuan, the First Lady of China, with the UNAIDS Award for Outstanding Achievement in recognition of her remarkable contribution to the global response to HIV. The award was presented to Professor Peng by the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, at a special ceremony held in her honour organized by UNAIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Philippines has the fast-growing HIV epidemic in Asia and the Pacific. Mae (not her real name) is a 13-year-old girl from Valenzuela City who was born with HIV. She is currently a student and recently started her first year of high-school. UNAIDS spoke to her about her experience.
