Question 1.
How much optimistic you are in meeting the Universal Access Targets in Asia?

Universal Access has, as its primary objective, the expansion of treatment and prevention services to all those who need them, especially those who are most-at-risk.

It is not an isolated agenda, it is part of the country effort in scaling up effective AIDS response, and rather a 'collective commitment' - not one imposed from outside, but which tries to build on a broad national coalition. As such it should have participation not only of the government, but also civil society and people infected and affected by HIV.

The quantitative targets must be supported by a well defined workplan to achieve and could be interpreted as countries' plan to achieve the MDG goals and targets by 2010.

Since its initiation in Asia and the Pacific in late 2005 or early 2006, Universal Access process has gained momentum in countries in the region. In 2008, the midway of reaching its targets, countries are at different stages of the process.

According to the data from UNGASS 2008 Country Reports in the region, many countries had set quantitative targets for treatment and prevention except for few countries.

In terms of ART coverage, the highest was found in Thailand (84.8%) and Cambodia (78.7%), followed by Lao PDR (60%), the Philippines (56%) and Malaysia (51%), though coverage in many countries remain challenging.

In terms of prevention indicators, we have seen good progress in the coverage of condom use among female sex workers, with about 13 countries reaching beyond the target of 60%.

The coverage for essential HIV prevention remains far too low in many countries to have a major impact on the course of the epidemic, this is particularly the case for the coverage for IDUs and MSM.

The knowledge and awareness of young people has increased, but it is quite low in general and far from the MDG targets.

Overall, progress on treatment coverage is far better than coverage of prevention services for most-at-risk groups. The slow progress on prevention service coverage suggests that these services are more difficult to deliver without peer outreach and an enabling environment. Much more needs to be done to: a) expand peer outreach services to most-at-risk groups; b) ensure that an enabling environment is created to ensure that prevention services are not hampered by stigma and discrimination; and c) that legal obstacles which inhibit use of these prevention services are removed.