GLOBAL HIV PREVENTION CAMPAIGN GUIDE

Global HIV Prevention Campaign

A guide for Posts worldwide

Contents

Let’s unite for HIV prevention 2

The global HIV prevention campaign 3

Phase 1 – Raising public awareness 4
Phase 2 – Raising awareness among postal employees 5
Phase 3 – Raising awareness through philately 6

Visual materials of the campaign 7

HIV prevention fast facts 8

Key campaign messages 10

Tips for rolling out the campaign 11

Questions and answers 13

Good practices
Brazil 17
Cameroon 18
Nigeria 19

Testimonials 20

Contacts 21

AIDS epidemic update – global facts and figures 22

AIDS epidemic update – regional fact sheets 2009 25

Latest epidemiological trends 27

Sub-Saharan Africa 27
Asia 29
Caribbean 30
Eastern Europe and Central Asia 31
Latin America 32
North America, Western and Central Europe 33
Middle East and North Africa 35
Oceania 36

About the partners 37

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Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Let’s unite for HIV prevention

Message from the campaign partners

In 2011, the world will mark an important date, but
it is not a celebration.
In 2011, 30 years will have gone by since acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, was first iden-
tified.
Since the start of the epidemic, millions of people
have died of AIDS-related illnesses. Today, more than
33 million people live with HIV worldwide.
While progress has been made in treating people with
HIV, enabling them to live longer and healthier lives,
there is still no cure for the disease. Knowing how
the virus is transmitted and acting on that knowledge
is still the most effective way of protecting oneself
from becoming infected.
A handful of Posts have so far kicked off the cam-
paign. But more must participate to make this cam-
paign truly global and effective. We urge you to join
this worldwide effort to raise awareness of HIV trans-
mission and ensure that people do not become com-
placent about this virus, which continues to affect
the lives of millions of people worldwide.
This short guide about the campaign has been
developed to give you a complete overview of its
various phases and the role you could play in each
of them. Please read this manual closely. Hopefully
it will answer all your questions about the campaign
and encourage you to join this global effort.
We hope to soon count you among the Posts partici-
pating in this important initiative.

Raising awareness of the need to take action to pre-

vent HIV transmission is at the heart of the global
campaign our four organizations – the Universal Pos-
tal Union, the Joint United Nations Programme on
HIV / AIDS, the International Labour Organization and
UNI Global Union – developed and launched in 2009.
As operators of the world’s largest physical delivery
network, Posts have a unique opportunity to reach
millions of people on a daily basis, including its own
employees, to provide them with critical health infor-
mation such as how to protect themselves from HIV.

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Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
The global HIV prevention campaign
The Universal Postal Union (UPU), the Joint United
Nations Programme on HIV / AIDS (UNAIDS), the In-
ternational Labour Organization (ILO) and UNI Global
Union have joined together to launch a global HIV
prevention campaign.
The campaign invites Posts around the world to
participate in each of its dynamic phases.
The first phase targets the greater public, the second
targets postal employees, and the third, to coincide
in June 2011 with 30 years of a world living with HIV,
focuses on raising awareness of HIV through phila-
telic programmes around the world.
The Posts of Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China,
Estonia, Mali and Nigeria pioneered the campaign in
their countries in 2009 and early 2010. These coun-
tries were encouraged to participate based on their
geographic spread and prevalence rates.
We now invite all UPU member countries to join the
campaign, thereby making the effort truly global and
together generating major awareness of a disease
that is having an impact on millions of people world-
wide.
The initiative is tied to the distinct yet complemen-
tary goals of each partner organization. For UNAIDS,
the worldwide postal network represents a unique
opportunity for extending its outreach and getting
the message out about the importance of protecting
oneself from HIV. For the UPU, the campaign is inti-
mately tied to the organization’s commitment to en-
sure the sustainable development of the worldwide
postal sector, which includes promoting Posts’ social
responsibility through the development of awareness
programmes about infectious diseases and pandem-
ics such as HIV, malaria or avian flu for employees
and the public. For the ILO and UNI Global Union, the
campaign provides an opportunity for employers and
employees to develop workplace policies to protect
workers from the HIV virus as well as those currently
living with it and to demonstrate the social value of
the global postal network.
Furthermore, UNAIDS’ focus for the prevention cam-
paign links to the importance of universal access
to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, and
the attainment of the United Nations Millennium
Development Goal of halting and reversing the
trend of HIV infections and AIDS by 2015. This also
fits perfectly with the UPU’s primary mission, which
is to ensure universal access to postal services, and
UNI Global Union’s objectives of raising employment
standards in the services sector.
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Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Phase 1 – Raising public awareness
What it is
The campaign’s public phase involves using post
offices as unique campaigning platforms where in-
formation can be displayed and postcards and HIV
prevention fast facts can be distributed to inform
people about protecting themselves from HIV. The
posters and other visual materials carry the generic
message “Your Post Office Cares. Protect Yourself !”
UNAIDS has designed the campaign’s visual materi-
als, consisting of four different posters and postcards
(in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Rus-
sian and Spanish).
Countries that join the campaign are encouraged to
voluntarily print the materials on site for distribution
to their post offices nationwide. Doing so gives the
campaign organizers flexibility in adapting the general
message to better reflect their country’s reality and
including the logo of the national Post on the posters.
In Brazil, for example, the campaign organizers
adapted the poster slogan to read : “Your Post Office
is Fighting Against Aids. Are You ? Protect Yourself :
Use Condoms.” If the poster message is adapted, it
must be validated by UNAIDS.
To encourage participation, the partners may be
able to provide a minimum number of posters free
of charge, and in available languages, to developing
countries not classified as net contributors by the UPU.
Developing countries classified as net contributors
and industrialized countries are asked to support the
campaign by absorbing the cost of printing and lan-
guage adaptation in their countries.
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Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Your role
A participating Post may choose to put up the posters
in all post offices nationally, or in selected post
offices, for example those in major urban centres
attracting a high level of traffic. Countries do not
have to be limited to the materials designed; they
can produce additional creative, promotional items
such as T-shirts and caps. For example, Nigeria pro-
duced T-shirts for staff and Brazil produced a number
of postcards and created a dedicated website for the
campaign (http://www.correioscontraaids.org.br/).
A participating Post should coordinate the launch of
the campaign closely with the UNAIDS Country Of-
fice, where one exists.
Countries that have kicked off this phase of the cam-
paign worked closely with UNAIDS and sometimes
involved the ILO and UNI Global Union as partner or-
ganizations more intimately involved in the second
phase of the campaign.
Many of the Posts that have already launched the
campaign worked with other key partners as well, of-
ten with local AIDS committees, health organizations
and / or government ministries that provided essential
support for the campaign. Involving additional partners
is a great way to expand the reach and resources of
the campaign at the national level.
A coordinating committee is normally set up to
develop an action and communication plan for the
campaign and its launch. As this is a public cam-
paign, an effective communication and media plan
is important to ensure that postal employees serving
the public are aware of the initiative and why their
employer is participating in it. An effective media
relations plan could also help draw public attention
to the campaign.
Phase 2 – Raising HIV awareness among postal employees

Employees are an employer’s most important re- Your role

source. Without a healthy and productive workforce,
the Post cannot function properly. This is why it is
important for postal staff, their families and the postal
sector as a whole to be aware of health risks, such as
HIV infection and others. With more than 5 million
workers, the postal sector is one of the largest work-
forces globally, which only underlines the importance
of this campaign.
A Post’s participation in this important phase requires
close collaboration with the ILO and UNI Global
Union especially.
Once a Post’s participation is secured, ILO and UNI
Global Union representatives will work with it to help
it use the guidelines effectively and develop the ap-
propriate workplace policies and training.

Given the public visibility of the campaign, it is impor-

tant that postal staff, especially those serving custo-
mers, are aware of the HIV prevention campaign so
they can talk knowingly about it and answer poten-
tial enquiries from customers. Knowledgeable staff
will help increase the image of the Post and reflect
positively on the campaign.

During this phase, the UPU is working with the Interna-

tional Labour Organization (ILO) and UNI Global Union.
The ILO, in conjunction with UNI Global Union, has
developed guidelines to help Posts put in place appro-
priate HIV workplace policies. The purpose of these
policies is to protect and assist postal employees
living with HIV and to provide training to all staff
about the importance of HIV prevention. The guide-
lines are expected to be ready by June 2010.

UNI Global Union, which represents postal labour

unions around the world, is ensuring that its mem-
bers worldwide support this phase and provide assis-
tance in its roll-out.

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Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Phase 3 – Raising awareness through philately

The global HIV prevention campaign will culminate in Your role

June 2011, when the world marks 30 years since the
identification of AIDS.
To bring attention to this date, UPU member coun-
tries are asked to consider issuing a stamp or stamps
on this occasion. Developing accompanying cancella-
tion marks could also be considered.
Several countries have already indicated they will do
so. The joint campaign partners hope that as many
countries as possible will join in this initiative for max-
imum global impact.
Posts are well accustomed to issuing stamps and pro-
moting them. Your role is to add a stamp or stamps
in your 2011 philatelic programme to raise awareness
of HIV and the fact that 30 years have gone by since
the discovery of AIDS.
Upon issuing the stamp or stamps, the partners hope
you will use the opportunity to organize a major
public relations campaign to draw attention to this
important stamp.
The UPU and its partners will work on a global press
event to draw attention to the fact that many coun-
tries around the world are issuing similar stamps to
raise awareness of HIV.

Key facts to have to produce the stamp or stamps

Event being marked
Thirty years since the AIDS epidemic was first identified.

Important timeframe
June 2011 has been selected as the official timeframe to mark 30 years since AIDS was identified.

Stamp design
Stamp issuing authorities are free to select an appropriate design for the event, but are strongly encour-
aged to work with the UNAIDS office in their country or other relevant health organizations to ensure
the appropriateness and sensitivity of the design and messaging.

Fundraising opportunity
Stamp issuing authorities are encouraged to consider using this stamp as an opportunity to raise funds
that will contribute to the global AIDS response. Issuing a fundraising stamp could be a very effective
way for the Post to show its support for this important issue.

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Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Visual materials of the campaign

These four designs, which can be adapted, are used for the public-awareness phase of the campaign. These
designs are used on posters, postcards and stickers.

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Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
HIV prevention fast facts

During the public-awareness phase, post offices are asked to distribute or make these HIV prevention fast facts
available to the public.

H I V P R E V E N T I O N FA S T FA C T S

What is HIV?
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. The virus attacks cells in your body that fight off infection
and keep the body healthy. When HIV has damaged the immune system, someone is said to have
AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome. As HIV takes hold the body produces antibodies in an
attempt to fight the virus.
Where is HIV found?
HIV is found in the bodily fluids of a person who has been infected - blood, semen, vaginal fluids and
breast milk.
How is HIV transmitted?
Through:
Unprotected sex (vaginal, anal and to a lesser extent oral sex) with an infected person
Sharing contaminated syringes, needles or other sharp instruments
From mother-to-child during pregnancy, childbirth or breast feeding when the mother is al-
ready HIV positive
Blood transfusion with contaminated blood
All these ways of transmitting HIV can be prevented.
Can I tell someone has HIV just by looking at them?
No. A person living with HIV may look healthy and feel good just like you. A blood test is the only way
a person can find out if he or she is infected with HIV.
Can I get HIV from shaking hands or other forms of social contact?
No. HIV is not transmitted through non-sexual day-to-day contact. You cannot be infected by shaking
someone’s hand, by hugging someone, by using the same toilet or by drinking from the same glass
as a person living with HIV. HIV is not transmitted through coughing or sneezing like some other
diseases. There is no need to fear social interaction with people living with HIV.
What is the risk of getting HIV from kissing?
Transmission though kissing on the mouth carries virtually no risk; no evidence has been found that
the virus is spread through saliva by kissing.
Are mosquito bites a risk of infection with HIV?
HIV is not spread by mosquitoes or other biting insects. Even if the virus enters a mosquito or another
sucking or biting insect, it cannot reproduce in insects. Since the insect cannot be infected with HIV,
it cannot transmit HIV to the next human it feeds on or bites.
Does HIV only affect certain risk groups like men who have sex with men or people who
inject drugs?
No. Anyone who has unprotected sex with a person living with HIV can become infected. Similarly
if HIV is present and someone shares contaminated injecting equipment with a person infected with
HIV, or has a transfusion with contaminated blood they can become infected with HIV. Infants can
be infected with HIV from their mothers during pregnancy, during labour or after delivery through
breastfeeding.
What should you do if you think you have been exposed to HIV?
You should immediately seek advice from a local health provider who may recommend counselling
and testing for HIV or suggest a course of post-exposure prophylaxis. It’s important to remember that
if you have been newly infected with HIV you could be highly infectious during this early stage.

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Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
What is post-exposure prophylaxis?
Post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, is a course of antiretroviral drugs prescribed within 48 hours of
exposure to HIV to protect against infection. PEP is not 100% effective, even when started soon after
exposure, so it is vitally important to try to take every measure to prevent transmission in the first place.
How can you limit your risk of getting HIV through sex?
Abstain from sex
Remain faithful in a relationship with an uninfected equally faithful partner with no other risk
behaviour such as injecting drug use
Use male or female condoms correctly each time you have sex.
How effective are condoms in preventing HIV?
Male and female condoms are highly effective in protecting against sexual transmitted infections
including HIV. They need to be used every time you have vaginal and anal penetration. In order to
achieve the maximum protective effect condoms must be used correctly all the time. Incorrect use
can lead to condom slippage or breakage, thus diminishing their protective effect.
How can people who inject drugs reduce their HIV risk?
HIV can be transmitted through the use of contaminated injecting equipment. But there are certain
steps they can take to reduce this risk:
If you cannot stop taking drugs completely change from injecting to non-injecting drug use
(e.g. smoke or take the drugs orally)
Never re-use needles, syringes, drug-preparation equipment and never share with other people.
Use a new, sterile syringe (obtained from a reliable source, like a chemist or a needle exchange
programme) to prepare and inject drugs each time.
Use a fresh alcohol swab to clean the skin prior to injection.
How can mother-to-child transmission be prevented?
Transmission of HIV from a mother living with HIV to her child can be prevented in three ways:
1. By preventing HIV infections in women and girls
2. By preventing unintended pregnancy among women living with HIV
3. By reducing the risk of transmission during pregnancy, labour or after delivery through breastfeeding.
The main approach includes:
A course of antiretroviral drugs administered to the pregnant mother before birth and to the
child after birth
Caesarian section birth
Providing antiretroviral drugs to HIV-infected mothers or their infants while breastfeeding which
allows mothers to feed their infants with little risk of HIV transmission. In countries where HIV
is highly prevalent and where replacement feeding is not safe for infants, this strategy will not
only reduce the risk of HIV transmission but will also protect infants from the more common
causes of infant mortality namely, diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition.
Is it ever completely safe to have sex with a HIV-positive person?
There is a significantly reduced risk of infection if the person living with HIV has undetectably low
levels of virus in their bodily fluids as a result of consistent adherence to treatment. However, avoiding
penetrative sex or using condoms remains advisable.
What is the risk of getting HIV through body piercing or from a tattoo?
A risk of HIV transmission exists if non-sterile instruments are used. Instruments that penetrate the
skin should be sterilized, used once, then disposed of or sterilized again.
Does male circumcision prevent HIV transmission?
Male circumcision reduces the likelihood of men acquiring HIV in unprotected sex. It only reduces,
but does not eliminate, the risk of acquiring HIV though sex.

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Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Key campaign messages

• The pillars of a comprehensive and effective AIDS
response, as we move toward universal access,
are HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.
• HIV prevention programmes are most effective
in reducing new HIV infections when they are
locally-owned, respond to the local realities of the
epidemic, are prepared to confront difficult issues
around sex and drug use in a frank and realistic
manner, and are national in scope.
• The vast postal network offers unprecedented
outreach possibilities to create global awareness
about HIV worldwide, and especially in countries
where the incidence rate is high.
• The worldwide postal sector employs more than
five million employees and serves millions of
people daily. Informing postal employees and
the public about life-threatening diseases such
as HIV is part of ensuring the sector’s sustain-
able development and guaranteeing people’s
livelihood and communication needs.
• Employers and trade unions are encouraged to
develop HIV-workplace policies incorporating
training for staff to prevent new HIV infections
and assist employees living with HIV, safeguard
their right to work and their dignity, and protect
them from discrimination.

• With more than 600,000 post offices around the

world, the physical postal network is a unique
gateway to information. Post offices are natural
multi-service community points where people
regularly go to for information of all types.

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Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Tips for rolling out the campaign publicly
Rolling out a national campaign such as the joint HIV
prevention campaign, as part of a global initiative in-
volving different partners, is an important enterprise.
Critical to the success of the global campaign is the
execution of national campaigns using a sound com-
munication strategy and coherent and consistent
messages.
To assist you in your endeavour, the following are a
number of principles and steps to guide you through
the process.
Once you have committed to the campaign, it is rec-
ommended that the contact for sustainable develop-
ment at the Post manage the initiative.
Key steps
• Set up a campaign committee to oversee the roll-
out of the campaign. Whenever possible, involve
the UNAIDS office in your country, as well as rep-
resentatives of the ILO and UNI Global Union.
• Determine how many post offices nationally will
carry the visual materials and the number of posters,
postcards and HIV prevention fast facts you need.
• Confirm your preferred poster design and order
an appropriate number of posters, postcards and
fast facts for placement in post offices.
• Choose a launch date for your campaign.
• Inform the retail network or network of partici-
pating post offices (postmasters, supervisors and
managers) of the initiative and why the Post is
participating.
• Work with your communication or public rela-
tions department to develop a national communi-
cation plan for rolling out this campaign.
• Ensure that the posters, prevention fast facts and
postcards are displayed in post offices before you
hold your national press conference.
• Have fun with the campaign.
Internal communications
• Develop an internal communications strategy to
ensure that postal employees are well informed
about the campaign.
• Ensure that post office managers or supervisors
are aware of the campaign and impress upon
them the importance of their role in making sure
that posters and brochures are displayed for the
public and that their staff is properly informed
about the campaign.
• Postal staff are not expected to give advice to cus-
tomers on HIV prevention. However, they should
know enough about the campaign to direct cus-
tomers with questions to the proper resources,
such as the UNAIDS website. In particular, ensure
that employees working in post offices or staff
dealing with customers know of the initiative and
why their employer, the Post, is participating in
the campaign.
Public relations
• Develop a public relations strategy to inform key
external audiences about the campaign.
• Once the posters and postcards are displayed
in post offices and staff have been properly in-
formed of the campaign and their role in making
it a success, it is important to inform the public.
A press conference on the day the campaign is
launched nationally, or shortly thereafter, will help
give visibility to the campaign and promote the
important messages about HIV prevention. It is
also an opportunity for the Post to position itself
as an important social agent of change. Contact
the UNAIDS country office to determine if they
can assist you in organizing an effective press
conference.
• We encourage participating Posts to put informa-
tion about the campaign on their website, linking
to the websites of the partner organizations for
further information.
Possible supporting activities
Putting up posters and information fast facts in the
post offices is an important part of the first phase of
the joint HIV prevention campaign. Here are some
additional simple ideas that you may wish to con-
sider to ensure that the campaign messages reach
the largest possible number of people.
• Consider developing a postal cancellation mark
matching one of the poster designs or the univer-
sally recognized red ribbon (symbolizing solidar-
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Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
 ity with people living with HIV) with the message
YOUR POST OFFICE CARES. PROTECT YOURSELF.
This way, all mail pieces cancelled through your
processing equipment will support the campaign
and reach even more people among the greater
public, including across borders.
• On the day of the national launch, consider hav-
ing health professionals on site at your largest
post offices to provide face-to-face information
about HIV to customers. Consider also involving a
national celebrity that has been active in the AIDS
response.
• If your budget allows it, consider having cam-
paign T-shirts produced for your staff dealing with
the public, which they could wear on the first day
of the campaign or periodically during the cam-
paign, for example on World AIDS Day, which is
celebrated annually on 1 December.
Language
In talking about HIV or issuing information about the
virus, it is important to use the correct and appro-
priate terminology. It is recommended that you have
your communications material reviewed by a UNAIDS
representative before it is distributed. If there is a UN-
AIDS office in your country, please work closely with
them on this material. If there is no UNAIDS office in
your country, work with a health professional or with
the UNAIDS Secretariat in Geneva.
Contacts
Please contact the appropriate person or persons of
the partner organizations if you have questions or
need assistance (see page 21).

• We encourage you to be creative. Read about

how some of the seven pioneering Posts launched
their national campaigns further in the guide.

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Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Questions and answers
What is the aim of the campaign ?
The three-year campaign aims to raise awareness of
HIV prevention among the public and postal employ-
ees. The ultimate goal is to help reduce new infec-
tions worldwide.
What are the various phases of the campaign ?
The campaign has three phases. The first one targets
the greater public. The second targets postal employ-
ees. The third, in 2011, marks the 30th anniversary of
the discovery of AIDS and focuses on creating aware-
ness of the virus through philately.
All UPU member countries are invited to join the
campaign in support of this global effort to stop the
spread of the virus. Despite major progress having
been achieved over the past 20 years or more, HIV
continues to spread.
Which countries are currently participating in
this initiative ?
The campaign was successfully rolled out in seven pi-
oneering countries : Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon,
China, Estonia, Mali and Nigeria from July 2009 to
February 2010.
Now, all UPU member countries are being invited to
make this important campaign truly global.
Why do we need another campaign about HIV ?
We need more than one campaign to stop the spread
of HIV. The response to AIDS needs to be addressed
on many fronts. Indeed, in addition to awareness
campaigns, other actions or activities have to go to-
gether to help stop the spread of HIV.
Many people are now aware of HIV, but there is still
no cure and knowledge of prevention remains the
best means of protection.
Posts participating in this campaign are encouraged
to couple the poster campaign with other activities
that could contribute to raising awareness of HIV
prevention.
How long will the campaign last ?
The campaign will take place mostly in 2010 and
2011, but nothing prevents participating Posts to
keep the campaign alive in their post offices for as
long as they want or can.
The second phase – an HIV awareness-raising cam-
paign among postal staff around the world – will be-
gin by mid-2010.
The third phase in 2011 will raise awareness of HIV
through stamps issued by the Posts of UPU member
countries. The UPU has invited all its member coun-
tries to include a stamp or stamps in their 2011 phila-
telic programmes promoting the 30th anniversary of
the discovery of AIDS. Many have indicated they will
do so.
What does the public campaign involve ?
The first phase of the campaign targets the public.
Colourful poster designs carrying the message “Your
Post Office Cares. Protect Yourself” as well as post-
cards and information sheets have been developed
by UNAIDS for display and distribution in post of-
fices. These basic tools are to be used to develop the
campaign nationally and promote the HIV protection
message. With this starting point, a participating
Post can develop the campaign as extensively and as
creatively as it wants.
How did the pioneering countries launch their
campaigns ?
The seven pioneering countries have each adopted
different yet effective approaches. Much of their
commitment to the campaign depended on the
seriousness of HIV in their country.
Please see “Good practice” section for an overview
of how Brazil, Cameroon and Nigeria launched their
campaigns.
If my Post participates in the public campaign,
what will it involve ?
Launching a major public campaign requires com-
mitment, good organization and some fun. Among
some of the things to consider :
• set up a team to coordinate the campaign nationally ;
• work with the local UNAIDS office to ensure the
success of this campaign (in some cases, the na-
tional offices of the ILO and UNI Global Union may
be involved, as well as the UPU coordinator in the
region) ;
• print and display the posters, postcards and infor-
mation sheets in the post offices (it can be for the
entire network or only the post offices with the
highest traffic) ;
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Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
• ensure that postal employees are informed about
the campaign before its launch ;
• organize a public or press event to launch the
campaign, and
• ensure that posters, postcards and information
sheets are kept in stock at participating post of-
fices so the message is always available.
How much does participating in the first phase
of the campaign cost ?
All artwork is provided for free by UNAIDS. Provid-
ing all interested countries with posters, postcards
and HIV prevention fast facts would be a costly en-
terprise. For this reason, campaign organizers ask
participating countries to cover the cost of printing
the posters, the postcards and the information sheets
locally for distribution and display in the post offices,
when possible.
The cost depends on the quantities of material need-
ed and local prices for colour printing. Normally,
this is not a very costly operation. Choosing this op-
tion also provides the national Post the flexibility of
adding their logo at the bottom of the posters and
adapting the campaign slogan, if deemed necessary,
to reflect the national reality. The materials must be
cleared by all partners participating in the campaign.
However, to encourage maximum participation,
the partners will consider providing posters free
of charge to developing countries not classified
as net contributors by the UPU.
For budgetary consideration, industrialized countries
and developing countries classified by the UPU as net
contributors are asked to cover the cost of printing
the materials.
Other costs may be associated with the organization
of a public launch or developing employee commu-
nication. It all depends on how elaborate the country
or Post wishes the campaign to be, given that the
possibilities are endless. Some Posts have produced
additional materials such as T-shirts for staff and ban-
ners to support the launch of the campaign. The cost
of these would also be absorbed by the participating
Post or country.
It is important to develop a feasible campaign budget
and work with partners such as the national UNAIDS
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Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
office, health authorities or various ministries to or-
ganize the campaign and find sources of funding, if
that is required.
What assistance are the four key partners – UPU,
UNAIDS, ILO and UNI Global Union – providing
to support the first phase of the campaign ?
The four main partners have conceived the campaign
and developed the poster designs and accompanying
materials. They have also prepared the HIV workplace
policy guidelines as well as a number of communi-
cation documents to help launch a successful cam-
paign. We are ready to explore other ways to support
participating countries or Posts when possible.
Can the partners provide any financial support
for the launch of the campaign ?
Funding a global campaign such as this one would be
too costly for the four partners alone. The campaign
hinges on a cost-sharing approach, with participat-
ing countries or Posts at least committing to paying
for the printing of posters, postcards and information
sheets to be placed in post offices, when they can.
Participating in the campaign is a conscious decision
to act as a responsible company committed to help-
ing the population protect itself from a disease and
showcasing the valuable social role the Post can play
in distributing important health information to the
citizens.
What a country or Post puts into the campaign can
vary, but the main thing is to participate in getting
the message out to the population and finding
innovative and cost-effective ways to do so.
Working with key partners nationally could be one
way of off-setting the associated costs.
To encourage maximum participation, the part-
ners will consider providing posters free of
charge, in the languages available, to develop-
ing countries not classified as net contributors
by the UPU.
How will the second phase to raise awareness of
HIV prevention among postal employees work ?
The ILO, UNI Global Union and the UPU will work
with participating postal operators on this phase. The
ILO has developed a set of guidelines, which employ-
ers and workers will use to develop employee train-
ing and an appropriate workplace policy to further
encourage the sharing of information about the risks
of HIV and to protect employees living with HIV from
the stigma of discrimination.
A Post’s workforce is one of its greatest assets. For
an employer, looking after the health and welfare of
its employees is one sure way of ensuring its success
and contributing to the overall welfare of society.
Why are postal employees being targeted in
this campaign ?
With more than 5 million postal employees, the post-
al sector makes up one of the largest workforces in
the world. An effective way in ensuring people all
over the world are better protected is through infor-
mation and awareness. As socially responsible enti-
ties, employers can help in the response to AIDS by
creating awareness among their workforce about
HIV (what it is, how it is transmitted, how to protect
oneself). A healthy workforce will help to ensure the
success of the company and the sector in general,
and ensure that the workers and their families can
continue to depend on earnings to improve their
livelihoods, education, health, etc. The UPU and UNI
Global Union are committed to ensuring the sustain-
able development of the sector.
What is the third phase of the campaign ?
The third phase of the campaign invites the designat-
ed postal operators of UPU member countries to is-
sue a stamp in 2011 to mark the 30th anniversary of
the discovery of AIDS and further raise awareness of
the importance of protecting oneself from the HIV vi-
rus. Posts may consider issuing a revenue-generating
stamp, with proceeds going to organizations leading
the response against AIDS.
In addition to participating in the poster cam-
paign, what more can Posts do to promote the
campaign messages ?
Many simple things can be done to expand the deliv-
ery of the campaign messages. These should be con-
sidered as part of the national communication plan.
Here are a few ideas :
• Consider developing a franking mark bearing one
of the poster designs and its key message “Your
Post Office Cares – Protect Yourself” and use it to
date-stamp all letters posted. The campaign mes-
sage will thus be given extensive reach nationally
and internationally, and raises awareness among
people who may not enter the post offices where
the posters are placed.
• Produce other materials such as T-shirts with the
poster campaign messages for staff dealing with
the public, such as retail and delivery employees.
• Ask public health experts to be present in high-
traffic post offices on 1 December, World AIDS
Day, to give out information about HIV prevention
to the public. The campaign poster and accompa-
nying fast facts on prevention will be useful. You
may wish to speak to the UNAIDS national office
regarding possible assistance in having experts
available to speak to the public and give informa-
tion on HIV.
• Team up with their local health providers to refer
people to the nearest health centres for more in-
formation and access to specific HIV services.
What assistance can we get on communicating
this campaign ?
UNAIDS has national offices in 80 countries. For the
public portion of the campaign, UNAIDS country of-
fices can assist you in organizing the public launch,
by providing more information about the epidemic
and helping to put you in touch with local country
partners. If a UNAIDS office exists in your country,
contact them to talk about a collaborative effort.
For the employee awareness phase of the campaign,
the ILO and UNI Global Union are there to help. If
you decide to participate in this phase, the ILO and
UNI Global Union contacts will get in touch with you.
Does a Post have to participate in all three phas-
es of the campaign? Could it participate in only
one or two ?
Ideally, a participating Post would be involved in all
three phases to reach the greatest audiences.
At the same time, the decision to participate is volun-
tary, and the UPU, UNAIDS, the ILO and UNI Global
Union will welcome participation at any stage. The
important thing is to get the message out.
What advantages are there to participating in
this campaign ?
The UPU is collaborating with UNAIDS, the ILO and
15
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
UNI Global Union on this major worldwide campaign
because it demonstrates the important role Posts
play in the greater information society – sharing
information and being active as social change agent
by virtue of its vast physical network of contact points
with the greater public.
The postal network is the greatest physical network
in the world, with more than 600,000 post offices.
Millions of people visit post offices every day or per-
form postal operations through Posts’ websites. Pro-
viding information on HIV prevention is one example
16
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
of the many social services post offices can provide
to the greater public. Participating in the campaign
shows key audiences – the public, postal staff, health
organizations, government, etc. – the important
social role Posts play in people’s daily lives.
Where can I get more information about this
campaign ?
For more information, please visit the UNAIDS web-
site : http://www.unaids.org/preventHIV
Good practices

Brazil

In Brazil, the Post worked closely with UNAIDS Brazil

and the Ministries of Health and Communication to
launch the campaign in February 2010, just in time
for the Carnival period.

The campaign spans more than 12,000 post offices

in Brazil. Materials include leaflets, posters, postcards
and a special letter with HIV prevention messages –
all adapted to the Brazilian context. Brazil has also
produced a dedicated website for the campaign :
http://www.correioscontraaids.org.br/

For example, the international slogan “Your post

office cares” has been adapted to include an explicit
prevention message : “The post offices are fighting
against AIDS. What about you ? Protect yourself : use
condoms.”

The Brazilian effort goes beyond the international ini-

José Gomes Temporão, Minister of Health, and Carlos Henrique Custódio,
tiative by delivering around 800,000 letters with HIV President of the Brazilian Post, at the launch of the campaign in Brasilia on
prevention messages to households in pilot regions. 9 February, 2010.
So for the first time ever in the country, families Credit : M. de Sousa Silva

are receiving HIV prevention information at home,

through a special mail service delivery.
In the campaign’s first phase, materials will be dis-
tributed in the Federal District – where Brasilia is
located – and in the priority regions of Amazonas and
Bahia, states where UNAIDS and other UN agencies
implement a joint programme to support the HIV
response.
For the campaign, a special website has been
launched containing information on AIDS and other
sexually transmitted infections, with details about the
campaign with all campaign materials available for
download and distribution. The website includes a
quiz for evaluation of personal HIV risk and a “con-
tact us” section, coordinated by UNAIDS :
http://www.correioscontraaids.org.br/
A special stamp has also been developed, contain-
ing the symbol of the campaign. The President of the
Post in Brazil highlighted the importance of such an
initiative to be launched just before Carnival, when
HIV prevention initiatives are reinforced by the gov-
ernment.

17
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Good practice

Cameroon

The Cameroon Post (CAMPOST) relied on its 1,200

employees and 258 post offices to get the campaign
message out.

Working closely with the campaign partners, as well

as local health authorities, CAMPOST launched the
campaign on 30 July 2009.

In addition to the standard visuals of the campaign

(posters, postcards and HIV prevention fast fact
sheets), the Post produced T-shirts, banners for the
outside of post offices and pins, and organized a ma-
jor press event for the launch.

Employee communication was at the heart of their

effort, ensuring that post office staff were fully aware
of the campaign and why CAMPOST was involved in
it. During local information sessions, campaign co-
ordinators delivered all visual materials and ensured
proper placement and distribution in the post offices.
CAMPOST estimates that more than 36,000 people
visiting post offices daily view the campaign and are
made aware of the importance of protecting oneself
from HIV.
Furthermore, for two days, mobile units in three ma-
jor cities – Yaoundé, Douala and Bafoussam – con-
ducted free voluntary HIV testing on people visiting
post offices. Of 627 people tested, nine turned out
to have HIV and could be counselled on their care
options and how to prevent further infection to other
people.
CAMPOST will participate in the second phase of
the campaign focusing on raising awareness among
postal staff and planned to set up a workplace AIDS
committee and develop an HIV workplace policy.

18
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Good practice

Nigeria

In Nigeria, postal officials say the HIV prevention

campaign changed people’s perception of the postal
service. People now see the Post as a carrier of health
information, not just mail.

To roll out the campaign, NIPOST worked with its

own HIV/AIDS committee and the National Action
Control for HIV/AIDS, a governmental body respon-
sible for disseminating information about the virus
and the disease.

The head of NIPOST, Alhaji Ibrahim Mori Baba, and the Minister of State for
The Nigerian operator focused first on raising aware-
Information and Communication, Ikra Aliyu Bilbis, launched the campaign
ness among the management and staff serving the in Nigeria in the presence of postal employees.
customers. The Post held orientation workshops tar-
geting counter officers, postal managers and heads
of operations in each of the federation’s 36 states.

The staff then cascaded the information to other responsible for displaying campaign posters in their
employees and the public. Team members were region’s post offices and making public information
available.

On launch day, NIPOST held ceremonies in various

states and employees wore colourful T-shirts sport-
ing the slogan : “NIPOST cares, protect yourself”, giv-
ing the campaign a public face. In Abuja, the official
launch took place in the presence of NIPOST man-
agement, employees, the Minister of Communica-
tion and other officials.

According to NIPOST officials, the campaign drew

Postal employees actively participated in the launch of the campaign in their
country.
excitement because the UPU and the United Nations
were involved and helped capture public and media
attention because of the link with the UN Millennium
Development Goals.

19
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Testimonials
“With more than 7,400 new infec-
tions occurring every day it is clear
that HIV prevention efforts need to
be stepped up urgently. The postal
network has an extremely wide
outreach ; it is open to everyone
from the young to the old and is
an excellent and innovative way to raise awareness
about how to prevent HIV.”
Michel Sidibé, Executive Director, Joint
United Nations Programme on HIV / AIDS (UNAIDS)
“Postal Workers and their families
are also touched by HIV and AIDS.
Healthy employees contribute to
the decent living of their families as
well as the good functioning of the
company and the postal network as
a whole. Furthermore, postal work
ers contribute fundamentally to the universal service,
which represents an important mean to outreach to
communities and support them. This joint campaign
and the guidelines prepared by UNI Post & Logistics
Global Union and the ILO is also an opportunity to
have employees and employers discuss and prevent
HIV as well as create a dialogue on broader issues
such as health and safety. “
Philip J. Jennings, Secretary General,
UNI Global Union
“With 600,000 post offices around
the world, the postal network is a
natural partner for this HIV preven-
tion awareness campaign. It is the
single largest health-awareness
initiative ever launched globally by
the postal sector, demonstrating
the huge outreach and value of the universal services
it provides.” The campaign is a strong example of
what one industry can do to help achieve the im-
portant Millennium Development Goal of halting and
beginning to reverse the spread of HIV by 2015.”
Edouard Dayan, Director General,
Universal Postal Union
20
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
“The campaign promotes the de-
velopment of a workplace policy for
postal workers everywhere, as well
as creatively using the opportuni-
ties of the postal network and its
structures in each country to raise
awareness of HIV / AIDS and coun-
ter stigma and discrimination. The ILO works actively
with its partners to promote a fair globalization. This
includes ensuring that responses to the economic cri-
sis are informed by the ILO’s goals of decent work
based on social justice and take an integrated ap-
proach that includes factoring in the implications of
HIV / AIDS.”
Assane Diop, Executive Director of the International
Labour Organisation’s Social Protection Sector
“Using ‘NIPOST cares’ gave a face
to the campaign and clearly said to
the public that the Post cares about
them. The Post is now seen as a
carrier of health information, not
just mail.”
Maayen Ujong, NIPOST’s Director of Operations
“The post office, with its wide-
reaching distribution network, of-
fers a strategic entry point to reach
the general population and post of-
fice staff with HIV prevention mes-
sages.”
Pedro Chequer,
UNAIDS Country Coordinator for Brazil
Contacts

Universal Postal Union

For information about the overall campaign and Claude Montellier

how to get involved in any of the three phases Manager, Sustainable Development Programme
claude.montellier@upu.int
+41 31 350 32 09

Ariane Proulx
Assistant, Sustainable Development Programme
ariane.proulx@upu.int
+41 31 350 35 82

Communication (public phase) Rhéal LeBlanc

Manager, Communication Programme
rheal.leblanc@upu.int
+41 31 350 32 51

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV / AIDS (UNAIDS)

For information about the overall campaign and Alison Phillips-Pearce

how to get involved in any of the three phases Partnerships adviser
phillipspearcea@unaids.org
+41 22 791 47 56

Cheryl Bauerle
Team leader, Advocacy and Campaigns
bauerlec@unaids.org
+41 22 791 13 57

International Labour Organization

For information about phase II of the campaign John Myers

dealing with raising awareness among postal em- Postal Industry specialist
ployees and developing HIV workplace policies myers@ilo.org
+41 22 799 78 60

Margherita Licata
HIV / AIDS Programme specialist
licata@ilo.org
+41 22 799 77 64

UNI Global Union

For information about phase II of the campaign Esther Bares

dealing with raising awareness among postal em- Research assistant
ployees and developing HIV workplace policies esther.bares@uniglobalunion.org
+41 22 365 21 87

21
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
AIDS epidemic update – global facts and figures

• Since the beginning of the epidemic, almost 60 HIV treatment

million people have been infected with HIV and
25 million people have died of HIV-related causes.
• In 2008, there were some 33.4 million (31.1 mil-
lion - 35.8 million) people living with HIV, some
2.7 million (2.4 million - 3.0 million) new infec-
tions and 2 million (1.7 million - 2.4 million) AIDS-
related deaths.
• In 2008, around 430 000 (240 000 - 610 000) chil-
dren were born with HIV, bringing to 2.1 million (1.2
million - 2.9 million) the total number of children
under 15 living with HIV.
• Young people account for around 40 % of all new
adult (15+) HIV infections worldwide.
• More than 4 million people in low- and middle-
income countries had access to HIV treatment at
the end of 2008, up from about 3 million at the
end of 2007.
• This represents an increase of 36 % in one year
and a 10-fold increase over 5 years.
• An estimated 700 000 people received treatment
in high-income countries in 2008, bringing the
global total to at least 4.7 million.
• Despite considerable progress, global coverage
remains low: in 2008, only 42 % of those in need
of treatment had access (compared with 33 % in
2007).

• Sub-Saharan Africa is the region most affected • In 2008, only 38 % of children in need of treat-
and is home to 67 % of all people living with HIV ment in low-and middle income countries re-
worldwide and 91 % of all new infections among ceived it.
children.

• In sub-Saharan Africa the epidemic has orphaned

more than 14 million children.

HIV prevention
• The percentage of HIV-positive pregnant women
who received treatment to prevent mother-to-
child transmission increased from 33 % in 2007
to 45 % in 2008.

• Latest data indicate that fewer than 40 % of

young people have basic information about HIV
and less than 40 % of people living with HIV
know their status.

• The number of new HIV infections continues to

outstrip the numbers on treatment—for every
two people starting treatment, a further five be-
come infected with the virus.

22
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Regional statistics

People living New HIV AIDS-related Adult HIV

with HIV infections 2008 deaths 2008 prevalence (%)

Sub-Saharan Africa 22.4 million 1.9 million 1.4 million 5.2 %

(20.8 - 24.1 million) (1.6 - 2.2 million) (1.1 - 1.7 million) (4.9 % - 5.4 %)

South and South - 3.8 million 280 000 270 000 0.3 %

East Asia (3.4 - 4.3 million) (240 000 - (220 000 - (0.2 % - 0.3 %)
320 000) 310 000)

East Asia 850 000 75 000 59 000 <0.1 %

(700 000 - (58 000 - 88 000) (46 000 - 71 000) (<0.1 %)
1 million)

Latin America 2.0 million 170 000 77 000 0.6 %

(1.8 - 2.2 million) (150 000 - (66 000 - 89 000) (0.5 % - 0.6 %)
200 000)

North America 1.4 million 45 000 25 000 0.4 %

(1.2 - 1.6 million) (36 000 - 51 000) (20 000 - 31 000) (0.3 % - 0.5 %)

Western and Central 850 000 30 000 13 000 0.3 %

Europe (710 000 - (23 000 - 35 000) (10 000 - 15 000) (0.2 % - 0.3 %)
970 000)

Eastern Europe and 1.5 million 110 000 87 000 0.7 %

Central Asia (1.4 - 1.7 million) (100 000 - (72 000 - (0.6 % - 0.8 %)
130 000) 110 000)

Caribbean 240 000 20 000 12 000 1.0 %

(220 000 - (16 000 - 24 000) (9300 - 14 000) (0.9 % - 1.1 %)
260 000)

Middle East and 310 000 35 000 20 000 0.2 %

North Africa (250 000 - (24 000 - 46 000) (15 000 - 25 000) (<0.2 % - 0.3 %)
380 000)

Oceania 59 000 3900 2000 0.3 %

(51 000 - 68 000) (2900 - 5100) (1100 - 3100) (<0.3 % - 0.4 %)

Total 33.4 million 2.7 million 2 million 0.8 %

(31.1 - (2.4 - 3 million) (1.7 - (<0.8 % - 0.8)
35.8 million) 2.4 million)

Source : AIDS epidemic update, December 2009

23
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage, 2008

Geographical People People ART People People ART

region receiving needing coverage, receiving needing coverage,
ART, Dec. ART, 2008 Dec. 2008 ART, Dec. ART, 2007 Dec. 2007
2008 2007

Sub-Saharan Africa
2.9 million 6.7 million 44 % 2.1 million 6.4 million 33 %

Latin America and

the Caribbean 445 000 820 000 54 % 390 000 770 000 50 %

East, South and

South-East Asia 565 000 1.5 million 37 % 420 000 1.5 million 29 %

Europe,
85 000 370 000 23 % 54 000 340 000 16 %
Central Asia

Middle East,
North Africa 10 000 68 000 14 % 7000 63 000 11 %

Total 4 million 9.5 million 42 % 2.97 million 9 million 33 %

Source : Towards universal access : scaling up priority HIV / AIDS interventions in the health sector :
progress report 2009, WHO/UNAIDS/UNICEF, September 2009

Tuberculosis and HIV Resource availability and needs

• One third of people living with HIV are co-infec-
ted with Tuberculosis—which is a leading cause
of death among people living with HIV and yet is
mostly curable and preventable.
• In 2008, US$ 15.6 billion was estimated to be
available from all sources for HIV.
• UNAIDS estimates that US$ 25 billion will be nee-
ded for HIV services in 2010.

24
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Regional fact sheets 2009
Sub-Saharan Africa
• Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region most
heavily affected by HIV worldwide, accounting
for over two thirds (67 %) of all people living with
HIV and for nearly three quarters (72 %) of AIDS-
related deaths in 2008.
• An estimated 1.9 million (1.6 million - 2.2 million)
people were newly infected with HIV in sub-Saha-
ran Africa in 2008, bringing to 22.4 million (20.8
million - 24.1 million) the number of people living
with HIV.
• Sub-Saharan Africa’s epidemics vary significantly
from country to country—with most appearing to
have stabilized, although often at very high levels,
particularly in southern Africa.
• The nine countries in southern Africa continue to
bear a disproportionate share of the global AIDS
burden—each of them has an adult HIV preva-
lence greater than 10 %.
Asia
• In Asia, an estimated 4.7 million (3.8 million - 5.5
million) people were living with HIV in 2008.
• The number of new HIV infections decreased from
400 000 in 2001 (310 000 - 480 000) to 350 000
(270 000 - 410 000) in 2008.
• In 2008, an estimated 330 000 (260 000 - 400 000)
people died of AIDS-related illnesses. While the
annual number of deaths in South and South-East
Asia in 2008 was approximately 12 % lower than
the mortality peak in 2004, the rate of HIV-related
mortality in East Asia continues to increase.
Caribbean
• In 2008, an estimated 240 000 (220 000 - 260 000)
people were living with HIV in the Caribbean re-
gion, while an estimated 20 000 (16 000 - 24 000)
people were newly infected and some 12 000
(9300 - 14 000) died of AIDS-related illnesses.
• The Caribbean has been more heavily affected
by HIV than any region outside sub-Saharan
Africa and has the second highest level of adult
HIV prevalence (1.0 % (0.9 - 1.1 %).
• The Caribbean has a mix of generalized and con-
centrated epidemics. Women account for about
half of all infections in the Caribbean. HIV preva-
lence is especially high among young women.
Eastern Europe and Central Asia
• The estimated number of adults and children liv-
ing with HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
rose to 1.5 million (1.4 million - 1.7 million) in
2008, a 66 % increase from 900 000 (800 000 -
1.1 million) in 2001.
• HIV prevalence in the region is on the rise, with
severe and growing epidemics in the Ukraine
and the Russian Federation. With an adult HIV
prevalence of 1.6 % (1.1-2.0 %) in 2007, Ukraine
has the highest prevalence in all of Europe.
• Three countries in the region (Estonia, Russian
Federation and Ukraine) have HIV prevalence
that exceeds 1 %.
Latin America
• New HIV infections in 2008 totalled an estimated
170 000 (150 000 - 200 000), bringing to 2 million
(1.8 million - 2.2 million) the number of people
living with HIV in Latin America. An estimated
77 000 (66 000 - 89 000) people died of AIDS-
related illnesses last year.
• According to the latest data, the epidemic in Latin
America remains stable. With a regional HIV prev-
alence of 0.6 %, Latin America is primarily home
to low-level and concentrated epidemics.
• The number of HIV infections among men is
significantly higher than among women in the
region, due in large part to the prominence of
sexual transmission between men. In Peru, the
number of male AIDS cases reported in 2008 was
nearly three times higher than the number among
females.
Middle East and North Africa
• In 2008, an estimated 35 000 (24 000 - 46 000)
people in the Middle East and North Africa be-
came infected with HIV, and 20 000 (15 000
- 25 000) AIDS-related deaths occurred. The to-
tal number of people living with HIV rose from
200 000 (150 000 - 250 000) in 2001 to 310 000
(250 000 - 380 000) in 2008.
• The acute shortage of timely and reliable epide-
miological and behavioural data has made it dif-
25
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
 ficult to obtain a clear picture of the state of the
epidemic in the Middle East and North Africa.
• Although the epidemics in the region do not
compare with those in sub-Saharan Africa, there
is a need to strengthen the AIDS response in the
region.
North America, Western and Central Europe
• In 2008, 75 000 (49 000 - 97 000) new HIV in-
fections occurred in North America and Western
and Central Europe combined, bringing the total
number of people living with HIV in these regions
to 2.3 million (1.9 million - 2.6 million).
Oceania
• An estimated 59 000 (51 000 - 68 000) people
were living with HIV in Oceania in 2008, of which
3900 (2900 - 5100) were new infections.
• There is generally a very low HIV prevalence in
Oceania compared with other regions. In the
small island nations, adult HIV prevalence tends
to be well below 0.1 %.
• Excluding the high-income countries of Aus-
tralia and New Zealand, Papua New Guinea
accounted for more than 99 % of reported HIV
cases in the region in 2007.

• Progress in reducing the number of new HIV in-

fections has stalled in high-income countries.
Between 2000 and 2007, the rate of newly re-
ported cases of HIV infection in Europe nearly
doubled.

• In the United States of America, the annual

number of new HIV infections has remained rela-
tively stable since the early 1990s, although the
annual number of new HIV infections in 2006
(56 300) was 40 % higher than previously esti-
mated.

26
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Latest epidemiological trends
Sub-Saharan Africa
• Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region most
heavily affected by HIV worldwide, accounting
for over two thirds (67 %) of all people living with
HIV and for nearly three quarters (72 %) of AIDS-
related deaths in 2008.
• An estimated 1.9 million (1.6 million - 2.2 million)
people were newly infected with HIV in sub-Saha-
ran Africa in 2008, bringing to 22.4 million (20.8
million - 24.1 million) the number of people living
with HIV.
• In 2008, more than 14 million children in sub-
Saharan Africa had lost one or both parents to
AIDS.
• Sub-Saharan Africa’s epidemics vary significantly
from country to country—with most appearing to
have stabilized, although often at very high levels,
particularly in southern Africa.
• The nine countries in southern Africa continue to
bear a disproportionate share of the global AIDS
burden–each of them has an adult HIV prevalence
greater than 10 %.
• With an adult HIV prevalence of 26 % in 2007,
Swaziland has the most severe level of infection
in the world. Lesotho’s epidemic seems to have
stabilized, with a prevalence of 23.2 % in 2008.
• South Africa continues to be home to the world’s
largest population of people living with HIV –
5.7 million in 2007.
• While the rate of new HIV infections in the region
has slowly declined, the number of people living
with HIV slightly increased in 2008, partly due
to increased longevity stemming from improved
access to treatment. Adult (15–49) HIV prevalence
declined from 5.8 % in 2001 to 5.2 % in 2008.
• By the end 2008, 44 % of adults and children in
the region in need of antiretroviral therapy had
access to treatment. Five years earlier, the region-
al treatment coverage was only 2 %.
• As a result of treatment scale-up, people are living
longer in many countries. In Kenya, AIDS-related
deaths have fallen by 29 % since 2002.
• Women and girls continue to be disproportionally
affected by HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Through-
out the region, women account for 60 % of all
HIV infections.
• Young women between the ages of 15 and 19 are
particularly vulnerable to HIV. In Kenya, young
women are three times more likely to become in-
fected than their male counterparts.
• Drops in HIV incidence were reported among
women in Zambia between 2002 and 2007. In
the United Republic of Tanzania, national HIV
incidence fell between 2004 and 2008. Zimba-
bwe has experienced a steady fall in HIV preva-
lence since the late 1990s, due to changes in
sexual behaviour.
• In East Africa, HIV prevalence seems to have stab-
ilized and in some settings may be declining. In
Burundi, HIV prevalence fell among young peo-
ple aged 15 to 24 in urban areas between 2002
and 2008 (4 % to 3.8 %) and in semi-urban areas
(6.6 % to 4 %) during the same period, while HIV
prevalence increased in rural areas from 2.2 % to
2.9 %.
• Although HIV prevalence in West and Central
Africa is much lower than in southern Africa, the
sub-region nevertheless is home to several seri-
ous national epidemics in countries such as Côte
d’Ivoire (3.9 % HIV prevalence) and Ghana
(1.9 % prevalence).
Key regional dynamics
• Heterosexual intercourse remains the epidemic’s
driving force in sub-Saharan Africa, with extensive
ongoing transmission to newborns and breastfed
babies. However, recent epidemiological evidence
has revealed the region’s epidemic to be more di-
verse than previously thought :
• Sex work continues to play a notable role in many
national epidemics. In Kenya, sex workers and
their clients accounted for an estimated 14.1 %
of new HIV infections. In Uganda, sex workers,
their clients and their clients’ partners accounted
for 10 % of new infections in 2008.
• Seven African countries (Benin, Burundi, Came-
roon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Nigeria)
report that more than 30 % of all sex workers are
living with HIV.
27
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
• Several recent studies suggest that unprotected
sex between men is probably a more important
factor in sub-Saharan Africa’s HIV epidemics than
is commonly thought. In a recent survey of men
who have sex with men in Malawi, Namibia
and Botswana, the HIV prevalences among the
participants were 21.4 %, 12.4 % and 19.7 %,
respectively.
• Although common in sub-Saharan Africa, homo-
sexual behaviour is highly stigmatized in the
region. More than 42 % of men who have sex
with men surveyed in Botswana, Malawi and
Namibia experienced at least one human rights
abuse.
• Injecting drug users in sub-Saharan Africa appear
to be at high risk of HIV infection. In the region,
an estimated 221 000 drug users are HIV-positive,
representing 12.4 % of all injecting drug users in
the region. In Nairobi, Kenya, 36 % of injecting
drug users surveyed tested HIV-positive.
28
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
HIV prevention
• Evidence suggests that HIV prevention pro-
grammes may be having an impact on sexual
behaviours in some African countries. In south-
ern Africa, a trend towards safer sexual behaviour
was observed among young men and women be-
tween 2000 and 2007.
• In South Africa, the proportion of adults report-
ing condom use during their first sexual encoun-
ter rose from 31.3 % in 2002 to 64.8 % in 2008.
• As in the case of increased access to antiretroviral
therapy, sub-Saharan Africa has made remarkable
strides in expanding access to services to prevent
mother-to-child HIV transmission. In 2008, 45 %
of HIV-positive pregnant women received antiret-
roviral drugs, compared with 9 % in 2004.
Latest epidemiological trends
Asia
• In Asia, an estimated 4.7 million (3.8 million -
5.5 million) people were living with HIV in 2008.
• The number of new HIV infections decreased from
400 000 in 2001 (310 000 - 480 000) to 350 000
(270 000 - 410 000) in 2008.
• In 2008, an estimated 330 000 (260 000 - 400 000)
people died of AIDS-related illnesses. While the
annual number of deaths in South and South-East
Asia in 2008 was approximately 12 % lower than
the mortality peak in 2004, the rate of HIV-related
mortality in East Asia continues to increase.
• Asia, home to 60 % of the world’s population,
is second only to sub-Saharan Africa in terms of
people living with HIV. India accounts for roughly
half of Asia’s HIV prevalence.
• With the exception of Thailand, every country in
Asia has an adult HIV prevalence of less than 1 %.
• While the regional epidemic appears to be stable
overall, HIV prevalence is increasing in some parts
of the region, such as Bangladesh and Pakistan.
• In certain states in India (Andhra Pradesh, Kar-
nataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu), HIV preva-
lence among 15–24-year-old women attending
antenatal clinics declined by 54 % between 2000
and 2007.
• The proportion of women living with HIV in the
region rose from 19 % in 2000 to 35 % in 2008.
In India, women accounted for an estimated
39 % of prevalence in 2007.
• The regional picture regarding treatment scale-up
is mixed. As of December 2008, 37 % of those in
Asia needing antiretroviral therapy were receiving
it. This represents a sevenfold increase in treat-
ment access in five years.
• There is an urgent need in the region to improve
HIV testing services. In China, fewer than one
in three people living with HIV have been diag-
nosed.
Key regional dynamics
• Although Asia’s epidemic has long been concen-
trated in specific populations, namely sex work-
ers and their clients, men who have sex with men
and injecting drug users, it is steadily expanding
into lower-risk populations through transmission
to the sexual partners of those most at risk.
• In China, where transmission was mainly driven
by injecting drug use, heterosexual transmission
has now become the main mode of HIV transmis-
sion.
• In many Asian countries, sex workers are at an
extremely high risk of HIV infection. In Myanmar,
more than 18 % of female sex workers are infect-
ed with HIV. In China, 60 % of female sex work-
ers do not consistently use condoms with their
clients.
• Male sex workers are also at high risk of infec-
tion. In Indonesia, HIV prevalence is nearly three
times higher among male sex workers (20.3 %)
than among female sex workers (7.1 %).
• More than 4.5 million Asians inject drugs. With
an estimated 2.4 million drug injectors, China
is estimated to have the world’s largest popu-
lation of injecting drug users. In the Islamic
Republic of Iran there are an estimated 70 000
to 300 000 injecting drug users, while in Pakistan
the number ranges from 54 000 to 870 000.
• Several countries have taken steps to introduce
programmes to prevent new infections among in-
jecting drug users. Indonesia revised its national
AIDS strategy in 2007 to include harm reduction
and a new ruling was issued by the judicial court,
prioritizing drug rehabilitation over imprisonment
of drug users. Harm reduction programmes have
also been implemented in China and India.
• Men who have sex with men in Asia face nearly
one in five odds of being infected with HIV. High
levels of HIV among men who have sex with
men have been reported in Myanmar (29.3 %),
Bangkok (30.7 %), Chongqing, China (12.5 %),
southern India (between 7.6 % and 18.1 %) and
(5.2 %).
29
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Latest epidemiological trends
Caribbean
• In 2008, an estimated 240 000 (220 000 - 260 000)
people were living with HIV in the Caribbean
region, while an estimated 20 000 (16 000 - 24 000)
people were newly infected and some 12 000
(9300 - 14 000) died of AIDS-related illnesses.
• The Caribbean has been more heavily affected
by HIV than any region outside sub-Saharan
Africa and has the second highest level of adult
HIV prevalence (1 % [0.9 - 1.1 %]).
• The Caribbean has a mix of generalized and con-
centrated epidemics. Women account for about
half of all infections in the Caribbean. HIV preva-
lence is especially high among young women.
• In Haiti, HIV prevalence among pregnant women
in 2006–2007 ranged from 0.8 % in the western
part of the country to 11.8 % in one urban set-
ting.
• The regional rate of new HIV infections seems to
have stabilized, except for Cuba, where preva-
lence is low but appears to be on the rise.
• The Dominican Republic has experienced a
decline in HIV prevalence due to changes in sexual
behaviour, including increased condom use and
partner reduction.
Key regional dynamics
• Heterosexual transmission, often tied to sex work,
is the main driver of HIV transmission in the re-
gion.
• Surveys throughout the region have indicated high
HIV infection rates among sex workers—27 % in
Guyana and 9 % in Jamaica in 2005.
• Emerging evidence indicates that substantial
transmission is also occurring among men who
have sex with men.
• A 2006 study in Trinidad and Tobago found that
20.4 % of men who have sex with men surveyed
were infected with HIV. In Jamaica, another study
found HIV prevalence of 31 %. Sex between men
also seems to be driving an increase in HIV preva-
lence in Cuba.
• Although injecting drug use plays a small role
in the epidemic in the Caribbean, it is the main
mode of transmission in Puerto Rico, account-
ing for 40 % of new HIV infections among men
in 2006 and for 27 % of new infections among
women.

• Although Haiti has the highest HIV prevalence in

the region, it has declined since the early 1990s.

• Treatment coverage in the region increased from

10 % in 2004 to 51 % by the end of 2008—high-
er than the global average for low- and middle-
income countries (42 %). Paediatric antiretroviral
coverage in the Caribbean was also higher (55 %)
in December 2008 than the global treatment cov-
erage level for children (38 %).

30
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Latest epidemiological trends
Eastern Europe and Central Asia
• The estimated number of adults and children liv-
ing with HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
rose to 1.5 million (1.4 million - 1.7 million) in
2008, a 66% increase from 900 000 (800 000 -
1.1 million) in 2001.
• HIV prevalence in the region is on the rise, with
severe and growing epidemics in the Ukraine
and the Russian Federation. With an adult HIV
prevalence of 1.6 % (1.1-2.0 %) in 2007, Ukraine
has the highest prevalence in all of Europe.
• Three countries in the region (Estonia, Russian
Federation and Ukraine) have HIV prevalence
that exceeds 1%.
• A number of countries have expanded access to
antiretroviral therapy, although treatment cover-
age remains quite low. By December 2008, 22 %
of adults in need of treatment were receiving it—
less than the global average for low- and middle-
income countries (42 %).
infections in Eastern Europe in 2007. An estimat-
ed 3.7 million people currently inject drugs in the
region, and roughly one in four are believed to be
HIV-infected.
• In Eastern Europe, heterosexual transmission was
the source of 42 % of newly diagnosed HIV infec-
tions in 2007.
• The common overlap between sex work and in-
jecting drug use further facilitates the spread of
HIV in the region. In the Russian Federation,
studies indicate that more than 30 % of sex work-
ers have injected drugs. In Ukraine, HIV preva-
lence among sex workers ranges from 13.6 % to
31.0 %.
• HIV transmission between men who have sex with
men accounts for a small share of new infections
in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In 2007, sex
between men accounted for only 0.4 % of newly
diagnosed HIV infections in Eastern Europe.

• Evidence suggests that injecting drug users, the • However, HIV prevalence among men who have
population most at risk of HIV infection in Eastern sex with men is 5.3 % in Georgia, 6 % in the
Europe and Central Asia, are often the least likely Russian Federation and 10–23 % in Ukraine.
to receive antiretroviral therapy.
• One of the biggest achievements in the AIDS re-
• High HIV prevalence among injecting drug users sponse in the region has been the high coverage
has been reported in Ukraine (38.5 - 50.3 %) and of services to prevent mother-to-child HIV trans-
the Russian Federation (37 %). mission. In December 2008, the coverage of serv-
ices to prevent mother-to-child transmission ex-
• Although HIV prevention coverage for injecting ceeded 90 % in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
drug users remains low in the region, scattered
progress has been reported in expanding harm
reduction services. In Estonia, the number of ster-
ile syringes distributed through harm reduction
programmes per injecting drug users doubled,
reaching 112.

Key regional dynamics

• Injecting drug use remains the primary mode of
HIV transmission in the region. With increasing
transmission among the sexual partners of drug us-
ers, many countries in the region are experiencing
a transition from an epidemic concentrated among
injecting drug users to one that is increasingly char-
acterized by significant sexual transmission.

• Use of contaminated drug injecting equipment

was the source of 57 % of newly diagnosed HIV

31
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Latest epidemiological trends
Latin America
• New HIV infections in 2008 totalled an estimated
170 000 (150 000 - 200 000), bringing to 2 million
(1.8 million - 2.2 million) the number of people
living with HIV in Latin America. An estimated
77 000 (66 000-89 000) people died of AIDS-re-
lated illnesses last year.
• According to the latest data, the epidemic in Latin
America remains stable. With a regional HIV prev-
alence of 0.6 %, Latin America is primarily home
to low-level and concentrated epidemics.
• The number of HIV infections among men is
significantly higher than among women in the
region, due in large part to the prominence of
sexual transmission between men. In Peru, the
number of male AIDS cases reported in 2008 was
nearly three times higher than the number among
females.
• Even though the HIV epidemic throughout the
region is heavily concentrated among men who
have sex with men, sex workers and injecting
drug users, only a small fraction of HIV preven-
tion programmes focus on these populations.
In recent years, however, Mexico has increased
funding for prevention services focused on men
who have sex with men.
• Antiretroviral coverage in Latin America is above
the global average (at 54 % in 2008) and in gen-
eral is higher in South America than in Central
America.
Key regional dynamics
• Men who have sex with men account for the larg-
est share of HIV infections in Latin America. They
have a one in three chance of becoming infected
with HIV.
• HIV prevalence rates among men who have sex
with men range from 7.9 % in El Salvador to
25.6 % in Mexico. In Peru, 55 % of new HIV
infections were among men who have sex with
men.
• An estimated 29 % of the more than 2 million
Latin Americans who inject drugs are infected
with HIV.
• Epidemics among injecting drug users in the re-
gion seem to be concentrated in the Southern
32
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Cone of South America and in the northern part
of Mexico, along the US border.
• Six countries in the region provide various compo-
nents of harm reduction, although opioid substi-
tution therapy is not widely available.
• The percentage of the female population en-
gaged in sex work in Latin America varies from
0.2 % to 1.5 %. In Peru, 44 % of men report hav-
ing had sex with a sex worker in the past.
• Surveys in Central America have detected HIV
prevalence among female sex workers of 4.3 %
in Guatemala and 3.2 % in El Salvador. In
Argentina, HIV prevalence seems to be signifi-
cantly higher among male sex workers (22.8 %)
than among female sex workers (1.8 %).
• Emerging evidence suggests that HIV prevention
programmes may be having an impact among sex
workers in Latin America. In recent surveys, fe-
male sex workers in Santiago, Chile, El Salvador,
Honduras, and Guatemala reported significant
condom use with clients, leading to a drop in HIV
infections.
• Although heterosexual transmission of HIV out-
side sex work remains limited in Latin America,
the risk of further infection exists. More than one
in five men who have sex with men (22 %) sur-
veyed in five Central American countries reported
having sex with both men and women.
• In Peru, the female sexual partners of men who
have sex with men account for 6 % of new HIV
infections.
• As epidemics mature, the extent of heterosexual
HIV transmission often increases. In Peru, vari-
ous forms of heterosexual transmission make up
43 % of new HIV infections.
• The HIV burden appears to be growing among
women in Central America and among indig-
enous populations.
Latest epidemiological trends
North America, Western and Central Europe
• In 2008, 75 000 (49 000 - 97 000) new HIV in-
fections occurred in North America and Western
and Central Europe combined, bringing the total
number of people living with HIV in these regions
to 2.3 million (1.9 million - 2.6 million).
• Progress in reducing the number of new HIV in-
fections has stalled in high-income countries.
Between 2000 and 2007, the rate of newly re-
ported cases of HIV infection in Europe nearly
doubled.
• In the United States of America, the annual
number of new HIV infections has remained rela-
tively stable since the early 1990s, although the an-
nual number of new HIV infections in 2006 (56 300)
was 40 % higher than previously estimated.
• In Canada, estimates suggest that annual HIV inci-
dence may have increased between 2002 and 2005.
• National epidemics in North America and Western
and Central Europe are concentrated among key
populations at higher risk, especially men who
have sex with men, injecting drug users and im-
migrants. Within these regions, the rates of new
HIV infections appear to be highest in the USA
and Portugal.
• Evidence indicates that the number of new HIV in-
fections among men who have sex with men has
increased over the past decade in high-income
countries, while rates of new infections among
injecting drug users have fallen.
• Although African–Americans represent 12 % of
the population in the USA, they accounted for
46 % of HIV prevalence and 45 % of new HIV in-
fections in 2006.
• Men outnumber women in both HIV prevalence
and incidence by more than 2 : 1 in North America
and Western and Central Europe. In the USA,
males accounted for 73 % of new HIV infections
in 2006.
• Due to widespread access to antiretroviral therapy
in high-income countries, the number of AIDS-
related deaths has dropped considerably. In the
USA in 2007, the number of AIDS-related deaths
was 69 % lower than in 1994. In Switzerland, the
drop in AIDS-related deaths has been even sharp-
er, dropping from more than 600 in 1995 to less
than 50 in 2008.
• Early HIV diagnosis remains a challenge in high-
income countries. In the USA, 21 % of people liv-
ing with HIV, and 27 % in Canada, are unaware
of their HIV status. For Europe as a whole,
between 15 % and 38 % of HIV-positive people
are diagnosed late.
• In France, the USA and the United Kingdom,
people with heterosexually acquired HIV infection
are most likely to be diagnosed late in the course
of infection.
Key regional dynamics
• Sex between men represents the dominant mode
of transmission in North America and the Euro-
pean Union. In the USA, the rate of new HIV
infections among men who have sex with men
has steadily increased since the early 1990s,
rising by more than 50 % between 1991–1993
and 2003–2006. In the United Kingdom, HIV
cases among men who have sex with men rose by
74 % between 2000 and 2007. In Europe over-
all, the number rose by 39 % between 2003 and
2007.
• While heterosexual HIV transmission account-
ed for 29 % of newly diagnosed cases of HIV
infection in Western Europe, it represented a ma-
jority (53 %) of new HIV diagnoses in Central Eu-
rope.
• The number of injecting drug users infected with
HIV has dramatically declined since the beginning
of the epidemic. In the USA, 30 000 injecting
drug users became infected annually with HIV in
1984–1986, compared with fewer than 10 000 in
2006. In Western and Central Europe, injecting
drug users represented 8 % and 13 %, respective-
ly, of new HIV diagnoses.
• In Switzerland, where injecting drug use ac-
counted for the majority of HIV infections in the
late 1980s, in 2008 it only accounted for 4 % of
new cases. Similarly, injecting drug users repre-
sented 5 % of new infections in the Netherlands.
33
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
• In Europe, mother-to-child HIV transmission has
been virtually eliminated due to the availability of
HIV prevention services for pregnant women.

• In North America, HIV incidence among infants

has declined. In Canada, the infection rate fell
from 22% in 1997 to 3% in 2006. In New York
City, the number of infants with HIV dropped
from 370 in 1992 to 20 in 2005.

34
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Latest epidemiological trends
Middle East and North Africa
• In 2008, an estimated 35 000 (24 000 - 46 000)
people in the Middle East and North Africa be-
came infected with HIV, and 20 000 (15 000
- 25 000) AIDS-related deaths occurred. The to-
tal number of people living with HIV rose from
200 000 (150 000 - 250 000) in 2001 to 310 000
(250 000 - 380 000) in 2008.
Key regional dynamics
• Epidemics in the Middle East and North Africa are
largely concentrated among injecting drug users,
men who have sex with men and sex workers and
their clients. Exceptions are Djibouti and south-
ern Sudan, where transmission is also occurring
among the general population.

• The acute shortage of timely and reliable epide-
miological and behavioural data has made it dif-
ficult to obtain a clear picture of the state of the
epidemic in the Middle East and North Africa.
• Although the epidemics in the region do not
compare with those in sub-Saharan Africa, there
is a need to strengthen the AIDS response in the
region.
• Throughout the region, HIV prevalence remains
low. Exceptions are evident in Djibouti and
southern Sudan, where HIV prevalence among
pregnant women exceeds 1 %.
• Studies show that an increasing number of peo-
ple are becoming infected with HIV while living
abroad, exposing their sexual partners to infec-
tion on their return to their home country.
• Elevated levels of HIV infection have been de-
tected in networks of drug users in several coun-
tries—with prevalence estimates of 11.8 % in
Oman, 6.5 % in Morocco, 2.9 % in Israel, 2.6 %
in Egypt and 2.6 % in Turkey.
• In surveys, between 7.8 % and 9.3 % of men who
have sex with men were found to be infected with
HIV in Sudan, 6.3 % in Egypt, 4 % in Morocco
and 1 % in Lebanon.
• Although studies have not found high levels of
HIV infection among female sex workers in the
region, HIV prevalence rates of 26 % have been
found among female sex workers in Djibouti.
In Yemen, the prevalence ranges from 1.3 % to
7 %.

• A large number of South Asian men who are

guest workers in the Middle East and North Africa
risk becoming infected through contact with sex
workers in the region.

• Coverage of antiretroviral therapy remains low

throughout the region, with 14 % of people in
need of treatment receiving it in 2008.

• Some progress has been reported in promot-

ing HIV testing, although the number of people
tested remains low. Between 2007 and 2008, the
number of people receiving HIV testing and coun-
selling in Yemen increased 18-fold—from 121 to
2176. In Morocco, there was a 24-fold rise in
the number of people tested between 2001 and
2007—from 1500 to 35 458.

35
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
Latest epidemiological trends
Oceania
• An estimated 59 000 (51 000 - 68 000) people
were living with HIV in Oceania in 2008, of which
3900 (2900 - 5100) were new infections.
• There is generally a very low HIV prevalence in
Oceania compared with other regions. In the
small island nations, adult HIV prevalence tends
to be well below 0.1 %. Australia’s epidemic is
considerably less severe (0.2 % prevalence) than
those of any other high-income countries.
• Excluding the high-income countries of Australia
and New Zealand, Papua New Guinea accoun-
ted for more than 99 % of reported HIV cases in
the region in 2007.
• Outside of Papua New Guinea, the island na-
tions of New Caledonia, Fiji, French Polynesia
and Guam account for the vast majority of HIV
infections in the region.
• While most epidemics in the region appear to be
stable, new infections in Papua New Guinea are
on the rise. HIV infections are also increasing in
Fiji.
• In Fiji, the number of new HIV cases in 2003–2006
was nearly 2.5 times greater than the number re-
ported in 1999–2002.
• In Australia and New Zealand, males account
for more than 80 % of new diagnoses, whereas
males and females are equally likely to become
infected in Papua New Guinea.
• A number of countries have made important
strides in expanding access to HIV treatment. In
Australia, 72 % of people living with HIV were
receiving antiretroviral treatment in 2006.
Key regional dynamics
• Heterosexual transmission accounts for 95 % of
HIV infections in Papua New Guinea, and 88 %
in Fiji.
• In high-income countries, heterosexual HIV trans-
mission is significantly lower. In Australia, heter-
osexual transmission accounted for 21 % of new
HIV infections between 2003 and 2007. In New
Zealand, one in three new HIV infections were a
result of heterosexual contact.
36
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010
• According to surveys conducted in the region, the
level of HIV knowledge among young people is
below the global average, although the vast ma-
jority of young people at higher risk knew that
condoms could protect against sexual HIV trans-
mission.
• In Papua New Guinea, fewer than half of young
people surveyed reported using a condom during
their last sexual encounter.
• Sex between men is the main driver of several
epidemics in the region. In 2003–2007, men who
have sex with men made up 86 % of new HIV
infections in Australia. In New Zealand, men
who have sex with men represented 49 % of new
cases diagnosed in 2008.
• Injecting drug use is responsible for a modest
share of new HIV infections in the region—2 %
of new HIV infections in Australia between 2003
and 2007 and 1 % in New Zealand in 2008.
• Injecting drug users account for a higher percent-
age of HIV infections in the smaller island na-
tions—11.7 % of HIV cases in French Polynesia
and 5.7 % in Melanesia (excluding Papua New
Guinea).
• Oceania is home to some of the world’s earliest
harm reduction programmes. Early in the epi-
demic, Australia and New Zealand invested in
harm reduction services to avert HIV transmission
during drug use. New Zealand began offering
needle exchange services in 1987.
• Mother-to-child HIV transmission is on the rise in
Papua New Guinea. Services to prevent mother-
to-child transmission have been expanded in the
country, but prevention coverage in antenatal set-
tings was only 2.3 % in 2007.
About the partners
UNAIDS
UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on
HIV /AIDS, is an innovative partnership that leads and
inspires the world in achieving universal access to HIV
prevention, treatment, care and support. UNAIDS ful-
fills its mission by: uniting the effort of the United
Nations system, civil society, national governments,
the private sector, global institutions and people liv-
ing with and most affected by HIV; speaking out in
solidarity with the people most affected by HIV in
defense of human dignity, human rights and gen-
der equality; mobilizing political, technical, scientific
and financial resources and holding ourselves and
others accountable for results; empowering agents
of change with strategic information and evidence
to influence and ensure that resources are targeted
where they deliver the greatest impact and bring
about a prevention revolution; and supporting inclu-
sive country leadership for sustainable responses that
are integral to and integrated with national health
and development efforts. For more information
about UNAIDS, please visit www.unaids.org
Universal Postal Union
The UPU is a United Nations specialized agency re-
sponsible for international postal services. Created
in 1874, the UPU has 191 member countries. At
the government and regulatory levels, the UPU pro-
motes the value and social and economic importance
of postal services so that investments will be made
towards the postal sector’s development and that a
proper regulatory framework is set up to ensure a
level-playing field for all sector actors. The UPU also
works alongside members from Posts around the
world to improve many operational aspects of the
postal service, including quality of service, postal sec-
urity, the exchange of mail from country to country,
customs, air transportation, and the like, and help
many developing countries develop their postal in-
frastructure and the markets. For more information
about the UPU, please visit www.upu.int.
UNIVERSAL
UPU
POSTAL
UNION
International Labour Organization
As the world’s only tripartite multilateral agency, the
ILO is dedicated to bringing decent work and liveli-
hoods, job-related security and better living stand-
ards to the people of both poor and rich countries.
It helps to attain those goals by promoting rights at
work, encouraging opportunities for decent employ-
ment, enhancing social protection and strengthening
dialogue on work-related issues. At the heart of its
mission is helping countries build the institutions that
are the bulwarks of democracy and to help them be-
come accountable to the people. The ILO formulates
international labour standards in the form of Con-
ventions and Recommendations setting minimum
standards of basic labour rights. For more informa-
tion about ILO, please visit www.ilo.org.
UNI Global Union
Created on January 1, 2000, UNI Global Union pro-
vides a voice and a platform for workers at the inter-
national level in jobs ranging from the night janitor
in your office block to the big-time Hollywood direc-
tor of your favorite movie. With 20 million workers
in 900 unions worldwide, UNI fosters international
solidarity and provides a voice at the international
level for all its members. UNI works with its member
unions to ensure that union organizing and bargain-
ing rights are enshrined in law. In countries where
these laws do not exist, UNI is joining the fight to get
them on the books. Where these laws do exist, UNI
works with unions, the ILO and other groups to sure
that they are enforced. UNI also works in developing
countries to build trade unions. For more information
about UNI, please visit www.uniglobalunion.org.
37
Global HIV Prevention Campaign | July 2010