There is a new report on HIV, NCDs, and poverty published by UNDP. It deserves a close reading.

http://www.mm.undp.org/content/myanmar/en/home/library/democratic_governance/The_Socio_Economic_Impact_of_People_Living_with_HIV_at_the_Household_Level_in_Myanmar.html

The UNDP report says reduction of new HIV infections in Myanmar is due to prevention but also partly due to treatment. Figure 7 proves the opposite. The fall in incidence largely occurred *before* treatment reached a point where it would have an impact on incidence. Now seems a good time to remind readers that there is no community trial evidence that treatment has ever decreased community incidence. 'Treatment as prevention' for communities is still only another unproven theory.

The report shows out of pocket spending and impoverishment of households with PLWHIV in Myanmar. The macroeconomic impact of HIV is likely negligible but impact on a household in Myanmar significant.

The report correctly notes that the current HIV National Strategy for Myanmar makes no mention of tobacco-cessation programs for PLHIV. Global normative WHO guidance for care of people living with HIV barely mentions tobacco risk and tobacco cessation advice. It is time to change that.

Jamie