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Author:
Ronald Skeldon
A joint publication of UNDP/UNOPS and FHI
Foreword
In recent years, the
static concept of "high risk groups" has been shown to be
insufficient in mapping the relationships between internal and
external population movement on the one hand and the transmission of
HIV/AIDS on the other. Many attempts to survey population movement
tend to omit the bulk of short-term movements between villages and
cities that are so important throughout Southeast Asia. This
circulation of people forms complex networks of continuous contact
between origins and destinations that can serve as conduits for the
passage of money in the form of remittances, of goods and ideas, and
of disease.
Mobile populations, such as long-distance truck drivers, commercial
sex workers, seafarers. migrant workers and irregular or illegal
nigrants. come in contact with local communities, including those
providing informal and formal sexual services often under the guise
of restaurants, bars, barbershops and guesthouses. Interaction among
diverse sectors of mobile populations forming different patterns may
intersect at certain points. The behaviour and practice of the
mobile populations and that of the stationary community population
with which they come into contact synergistically propels the
acceleration of HIV in areas previously isolated from external
contacts.
To respond to this challenge. UNDP South East Asia HIV and
Development Project (SEAHIV-UNDP) established its focus on the
linkages between development, population movement and HIV/AIDS. An
ASEAN workshop from 10 - 12 November 1999 in Chiang Rai. Thailand
was organized by SEAHIV-UNDP to support the Royal Thai Government in
its role as the ASEAN Taskforce on AIDS focal point on Population
Movement and HIV/AIDS. Collaborators included the WHO Regional
Office for South East Asia: Family Health International Asia
Regional Office and SEAMEO-CHASPPAR. a GTZ funded research programme
in Thailand.
The objective is to formulate joint action plans among cluster
countries in South East Asia who share the challenge of dealing with
population movement and HIV. This paper is a technical review of
existing data to identify the significance and the location of the
various types of migration in ASEAN region, paying special attention
to indicate the intersection/interaction points and patterns. It
identifies and examines behaviour and practice of mobile populations
associated with the spread of HIV/AIDS, to point out both
vulnerability factors as well as possible "resilience factors" to
HIV/AIDS.
The paper aims to produce strategic recommendations for
collaboration among countries in the region. It is envisioned that
future joint action plans will consist of geographic clusters
recognizing the relationships between and interactions among
individual countries and sectors in the region. Approaches effective
in curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS in specific sectoral groupings and
their interactions will be sought with due regard for the role of
the private sector. The recommendations generated from the Chiang
Rai workshop were fully endorsed by the ASEAN Taskforce on AIDS.
The SEAHIV-UNDP gratefully acknowledges the financial support of FHI
and cooperation extended by the participating organizations whose
assistance made the development of this technical paper possible.
Download publication in
pdf format:
English,
Chinese,
Laotian,
Vietnamese
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974-85835-1-1
February
2000 |