Welcome to the ARHA e-newsletter, providing updates on ARHA news and activities, as well as the latest news on population and development, and sexual and reproductive health.
WORLD AIDS DAY 2005
FROM THE CEO
This year for World AIDS Day ARHA has decided to highlight microbicides by issuing a press release calling for greater funds for microbicide research. Microbicides are one of the few women controlled methods of HIV/AIDS protection.
In
other news, I also attended the third Asia Pacific Conference on
Reproductive and Sexual Health (
Amongst the keynote
speakers were outstanding presentations by UNFPA Executive Director Dr
Thoraya Obaid and IPPF Director-General Steven Sinding.
Dr Obaid
highlighted the need to integrate reproductive health and rights in all
national AIDS plans saying it was time to include HIV prevention in
reproductive health programmes, including family planning and antenatal
services. She stressed that this would save money and lives.
Mr
Steven Sinding also argued the case for mainstreaming HIV/AIDS in
reproductive health services. He said that all too often, AIDS campaigners
and those who promote family planning pursue their goals in isolation of
each other, which has slowed progress in reproductive health care in
ARHA had a stall which attracted much interest and inquiries
about our work, and was a focal point for networking and
discussion.
Christina Richards
DOMESTIC
NEWS
All the latest news articles surrounding the RU486
debate
Pressure is mounting against women in need of abortion and
doctors that help them - The Age
An
HIV-positive educator is bringing knowledge to the fight against a fatal
disease. Khoza is in remarkably good health and is touring Australia with
the
Pro-life
Health Minister Tony Abbott yesterday announced $300,000 in pregnancy
counselling funding for three anti-abortion groups - The
Age
'Make It Real (to me)'
This film will be aired on the ABC on 'Compass' at 10pm on 4
December 2005. It is the story of a boy in Kisumu, Kenya, whose
parents both died of HIV/AIDS. Having lived alone for 7 years, he now
tries to find out how he can prevent himself from contracting HIV, in an
extraordinarily highly infected area. The film takes us around the world,
from Australia to Thailand, the US and Basel as well, as other teenagers
ask his questions.
REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE AUSTRALIA
'GET POLITICS OUT
OF MEDICINE'
GetUp and Reproductive Choice Australia have launched a national campaign supporting the move to take the regulation of RU486 out of the hands of politicians, and place it in the hands of doctors and medical professionals.
Please sign the petition to support this important campaign.
DEMOCRATS PETITION ON RU486
The Australian Democrats have launched an online petition calling on the Government to overturn the current ban on Mifepristone (a pill administered by doctors as a safe alternative to surgical abortion). To sign the petition please visit:http://www.democrats.org.au/campaigns/reproductive_rights/
NEW RESOURCES
MICROBICIDES
NEW LINKS
WORLD AIDS
DAY -
1st DECEMBER 2005
World AIDS Day - International
UNAIDS/WHO AIDS EPIDEMIC UPDATE: DECEMBER 2005
Complete Report Report Summary
Oceania Fact Sheet Asia Fact Sheet
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS
Truckers take India
on fast lane to AIDS
India's lorry drivers carry more than freight. Their frequent use
of young prostitutes is driving the country to the brink of an HIV/AIDS
epidemic - The Observer, UK
Gel offers hope in fighting AIDS
In the cramped quarters of a Soweto
clinic, a key win in the fight against AIDS is inching closer.Three
thousand women here and in the adjacent township of Orange Farm are being
enrolled in a trial to test a squishy, clear gel called PRO 2000 - Globe
and Mail (Canada)
Bush Administration “Breaks the Promise” by Expanding
Global Gag Rule to HIV Funding On Eve of World AIDS
Day
In a stealth move intended to draw little public
notice, the Bush Administration has formally expanded the Global Gag Rule
to U.S. global AIDS funding under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS
Relief (PEPFAR) - Center for Health and Gender Equity
The 21st century plague: MAPPING OUT A
GLOBAL EPIDEMIC
The global number of
people living with HIV has doubled in a decade to exceed 40 million for the first time - The
Independent
HIV Infection Rates
Decreasing in Several Countries but Global Number of People Living with
HIV Continues to Rise
There is new evidence
that adult HIV infection rates have decreased in
certain countries and that changes in behaviour to prevent
infection...have played a key part
in these declines - UNAIDS/WHO Press
Release
Drug Company Support is Critical
to Advancing AIDS Prevention Effort
The UNAIDS report shows that women
continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV. Globally, 17.5 million
women are living with HIV -- one million more than in 2003 - International
Partnership for Microbicides
Pacific too slow in tackling AIDS
threat: UNAIDS ambassador
Time is
running short to prevent the spread of a devastating AIDS epidemic
throughout the Pacific Island region, the
UNAIDS ambassador for the Pacific has warned - Agence
France-Presse
Study: HIV-infected pregnant women with
malaria may be more likely to pass on AIDS virus
Pregnant women infected with the AIDS
virus may be more likely to pass the virus to their unborn infants if they also have malaria, according
to results of a new study released Thursday - AP
AIDS Education
Competes With Tradition in Papua—An Interview with Ayi
Farida
Papua has only one percent of
Indonesia’s population but one-third of the country’s reported cases of
HIV/AIDS - TREAT ASIA Report
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