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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Advisory Council on AIDS:
The Hong Kong Advisory Council on AIDS (ACA) published today (March 22) a document entitled "On firmer ground, strengthening the Hong Kong response" to guide the development of Hong Kong's HIV/AIDS programme for the next five years.
In preparing the strategies, the ACA has adopted a broad-based, participatory and integrated approach for engaging stakeholders. Reference was drawn from previous strategy documents, the estimation and projection of the HIV/AIDS situation in Hong Kong, review of the current response, previous deliberations in the ACA's committees and consultations with Government bureaux and departments, various AIDS-related non-governmental organisations, professional bodies, universities, overseas experts and members of the public.
"The record high reported HIV cases in 2011 signals its continued significance as a major public health threat to Hong Kong. Notwithstanding our comprehensive and multisectoral framework in responding to the epidemic, reversing the epidemic's growth will require sustained policy and resource commitment, improved technical competencies, innovations in prevention, and broad-based support from all sectors of Hong Kong society," a spokesman for the ACA said.
In line with latest international consensus, the local strategies strive to work towards zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related death and zero discrimination against those affected by and vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.
The strategies comprise five priority action areas, namely (1) scaling up HIV prevention in priority communities; (2) maintaining holistic and quality HIV treatment, care and support; (3) fostering an environment which supports safer sex, harm reduction and anti-discrimination; (4) driving strategically informed and accountable interventions; and (5) enhancing partnership and capacity for an effective response within Hong Kong and the nearby region. Eleven specific and time-bound targets on risk behaviours, underlying vulnerability, coverage of services, resource commitment and strategic information are laid down in the strategies.
"We believe that the document represents the collective wisdom and vision of all sectors of the community that have worked tirelessly over the years to control the spread of HIV/AIDS, alleviate the suffering caused by the disease, and minimise the impact of the epidemic on our society as a whole," the spokesman said.
Since 1994, the ACA has published four sets of recommended HIV/AIDS strategies which served as blueprints for the AIDS response in Hong Kong.
For more information on the previous and latest recommended HIV/AIDS strategies by the ACA, please visit the ACA website (www.info.gov.hk/aids/english/aca/strategies.htm). For information about the local situation and programme on AIDS, please visit the website of the Virtual AIDS Office of the Department of Health (www.aids.gov.hk).
Ends/Thursday, March 22, 2012
Issued at HKT 12:01
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