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About 50 overseas government officials responsible for HIV/AIDS programmes on Men who have sex with Men (MSM) and experts and representatives from nongovernmental organisations (NGO) as well as 30 local observers, today (February 18) attended the Technical Consultation on Health Sector Response to HIV/AIDS among MSM.
The three-day technical consultation was jointly organised by the Department of Health (DH), the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Development Programme and the Joint United Nations Programmes on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, said in view of global and domestic rising trends, HIV prevention among MSM was accorded high priority in the five-year HIV/AIDS strategy for Hong Kong from 2007 to 2011.
Dr Chow said HIV cases among MSM had been rising rapidly in recent years. It constituted the main route of transmission of about 30% of 300 to 400 reported HIV cases each year.
"Unprotected sex is an important factor and most of them do not know their own HIV status. Globally, risks and vulnerability to HIV infections are reinforced by a lack of knowledge, denial, inadequate access to treatment as well as social pressure arising from discrimination and even criminalisation of sex among men," he said.
Dr Chow noted that the Hong Kong Government had always adopted a multi-pronged approach in the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, including surveillance, prevention and health promotion, as well as treatment and care of people living with HIV.
"To fully engage the community, we have also set up an AIDS Trust Fund with $350 million dedicated to funding various public education projects, patient support services undertaken by NGOs and academia.
"Multi-partite partnership has been and will continue to be a key component of the AIDS programme in Hong Kong," Dr Chow said.
Also speaking at the Technical Consultation, the Director of Health, Dr P Y Lam, said it was an important and timely forum to address the escalation of HIV/AIDS among MSM in this region.
He said the public sector provided treatment and care services for more than 2,000 active cases of persons living with HIV.
"Nonetheless, the burden is getting bigger, as more new cases come along and existing cases live longer," he said, adding that continued scaling up of HIV prevention efforts was of utmost importance.
Highlighting the need to join forces with local and international partners, Dr Lam said he was thankful to UNAIDS for designating the Department of Health's Red Ribbon Centre as a UNAIDS Collaborating Centre for Technical Support since 1998.
The Red Ribbon Centre has been pivotal in bringing many local partners together and enhancing Hong Kong's HIV response in the community.
Dr Lam said he was confident that participants in this technical consultation would map out new strategies to tackle the rising trend of HIV/AIDS among MSM.
Official representatives participating in the consultation include those from Australia, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.
Ends/Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Issued at HKT 13:30
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