The Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV (APN+) released a report in partnership with UNICEF, UNESCO and Treat ASIA: Lost in Transitions: Current issues faced by adolescents living with HIV in Asia Pacific. The report highlights significant gaps in how communities and governments in the region are addressing the needs of adolescents aged 10 – 19 living with HIV.
Speaking in Bangkok at a special session of the International Conference on AIDS in Asia and Pacific (ICAAP) on Friday 22 November 2013, co-organised by TreatAsia, UNICEF, UNESCO and WHO, Shiba Phulairatpam, the Regional Coordinator of APN+, said adolescents living with HIV remain a missing component of national HIV prevention, treatment and care strategies.
“The current response to HIV in Asia Pacific is failing adolescents living with HIV,” said Phulairatpam. "We need to do more to support the mobilization of adolescents living with HIV and promote peer-based services that are effective in meeting their needs as highlighted in our report. We must also push for better treatment regimens.”
The Lost in Transitions report captures the experiences of adolescents perinatally infected with HIV as they disclose their status, deal with life-long antiretroviral treatment, move from paediatric to adult health care services and navigate sexuality and relationships. It also includes the perspectives of adolescents who acquired HIV through unprotected sex and drug use.
Read the report and its recommendations to governments, policymakers, programmers and networks of people living with HIV: http://www.apnplus.org/main/share/publication/Lost_in_transitions.pdf
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