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Office of the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar
Press release
Myanmar launches new strategic plan for AIDS response aiming to reach
Universal Access targets by 2015
Multi-sector collaboration and partnership approach required to reach programme
targets
Yangon, 1 June 2011 — Over 120 officials, development partners and civil society
representatives, including high ranking representatives of government and UN met in
Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, to launch the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for AIDS covering the
years 2011 to 2015. The Multi-Sector Workshop, hosted by the Ministry of Health was
the first in a series of such workshop to be organized in different state and region in the
country to raise awareness of the targets and priority HIV interventions defined in the
new plan.
“I am glad to see that Myanmar is moving forward to expand the effectiveness and scale
of its HIV programmes, with the new National Strategic Plan, by urging the involvement
of all partners - Government, Non-Government Organizations, Community-Based
Organizations, people living with HIV and self help groups, professional associations, and
the private sector,” said Dr. Nafis Sadik, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General and
his Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, in her opening remarks.
Dr. Nafis Sadik is currently on a three-day official visit to Myanmar, the delegation of UN
visitors include Mr. Gary Lewis, Regional Representative of UNODC for East Asia and the
Pacific and Mr. Clifton Cortez, Asia-Pacific Regional Practice Leader for HIV and Health of
UNDP. The team met with the Minister of Health, H.E. Prof. Pe Thet Khin; Minister of
Labour, Social Welfare and Relief and Resettlements, H.E. U Aung Kyi; Deputy Minister of
Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dr. Myo Myint; and other stakeholders, including people living with
HIV, to discuss the AIDS work in Myanmar.
Despite limited resources, Myanmar has made remarkable progress in its national AIDS
response. HIV prevalence among all key populations has begun to decline and more
people are on ARV treatment. Myanmar remains a country with the third highest adult
HIV prevalence and the sixth largest number of people living with HIV in Asia and the
Pacific. However, HIV and AIDS remain one of the key public health challenges in
Myanmar.
Participants at the Multi-Sector Workshop agreed on the strategies for scaling up
effective programmes for HIV prevention, care, support and treatment. They also
discussed ways to increase collaboration among all key stakeholders to accelerate the
implementation of priority interventions set out in the National Strategic Plan.
“The Ministry of Health is committed to support the efforts of all partners and work in
multi-sector partnership to reach program targets by 2015,” said H.E. Dr. Pe Thet Khin,
Minister of Health, at the opening ceremony of the Workshop.
“The collaborative efforts of all partners in developing the AIDS strategic plan and
commitment shown today by many government sectors is one of the best examples in
development work in this country,” said Mr. Bishow Parajuli, UN Resident Coordinator in
Myanmar.
“Protecting the rights of people living with HIV and affected populations—including men
who have sex with men, sex workers, and transgendered people—is not only the right
thing to do, but is necessary to ensure that people are able to benefit from HIV services,”
noted Mr. Clifton Cortez, Asia-Pacific Regional Practice leader for HIV and Health of
UNDP. “We know from data in this region that the burden of care within HIV-affected
households overwhelmingly falls on women, and the HIV-related special needs of women
and girls must not be overlooked,” continued Mr. Cortez.
Harm reduction is one of the key areas that need to be expanded in Myanmar. “Services
need to be designed in user-friendly ways so that they are more attractive for people
who use drugs to have easier to access methadone and clean needles,” said Mr. Jason
Eligh, Country Manager of UNODC in Myanmar.
Participants adopted a Statement expressing their commitment to redouble their efforts
to the AIDS response in Myanmar and to reach the targets set out in the National
Strategic Plan by 2015.
“I am encouraged to see everyone coming together and voicing their support to the AIDS
response. It gives us new energy to continue to expand the AIDS programme in
Myanmar” said Thiha Kyaing, Chair of Myanmar Positive Group, the national network for
people living with HIV in Myanmar.
“If the government and international development partners commit to provide the
needed resources for implementing the new strategic plan, Myanmar will most likely be
able to maintain its achievement and scale-up service provision to reach NSP targets by
2015,” said Dr Sadik.
Implementation of the full NSP requires the budget of US$ 49 million in 2011 and US$ 85
million in 2015.
As of 2010, there are an estimated 236,000 people living with HIV in Myanmar.
According to the 2009 HIV Sentinel Surveillance data, HIV prevalence among female sex
workers is 11.2%. People who inject drugs is 34.6%. Men who have sex with men is
22.3% and pregnant women is 0.96%. Out of the 76,000 people needing ARV treatment,
29,825 adults and children were on treatment at the end of 2010. Nearly one in three
people who inject drugs; one in ten female sex workers; and one in five men who have
sex with men are HIV positive. Out of the 76,000 people needing ARV treatment, 29,825
adults and children were on treatment at the end of 2010.
For further information:
In Myanmar:
Dr. Sun Gang,
UNAIDS Country Coordinator,
Tel: + 951 252361, 252362, 252498
sung@unaids.org
In Thailand:
Emmanuelle Kunigk
Communications and Resource Mobilization Officer
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Regional Centre for East Asia and the Pacific
Tel. +66 2 2882091
emmanuelle.kunigk@unodc.org
