In 2002, the Australian Government, AusAID, began working with local partners in Burma (Myanmar), China (Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces) and Vietnam to reduce HIV associated with drug use, under the Asia Regional HIV/AIDS Program (ARHP), which ran from 2002-2007. These locations have a relatively high prevalence of HIV and relatively high numbers of IDUs.
ARHP helped form partnerships between health and law enforcement agencies and has been recognised as having introduced a logical and systematic approach to the reduction of HIV associated with IDU.
Fifteen harm reduction pilot projects were established in Burma and southern China (in which a range of services are provided to IDUs to reduce HIV transmission), and in Vietnam significant training and capacity building activities took place within Vietnamese law enforcement agencies.
ARHP provided a solid foundation for Australia to continue and expand its support for HIV prevention in the region, however recognising the benefits of a regional approach, HAARP was designed to build upon and scale-up the work of ARHP by incorporating Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines into the regional program. |