The Asia and Pacific Regional Professional Societies Network (APRSN) is a network of professional societies across Asia and the Pacific which represents HIV and sexual health care providers. This network supports capacities, skills and needs of professionals, in order to provide best practice advice to national HIV bodies and best practice care to people affected by, and living with, HIV and AIDS across Asia and the Pacific. The network is committed to the principles of PLHIV inclusion, gender, disability and human rights contexts, as these relate to HIV.

The ASPRSN members actively seek collaborative projects, which allow transfer of skills, and the capacity and professional development of HIV and related health care providers, in different settings with similar challenges and contexts. The Network seeks to engage with other organizations working in Asia and the Pacific, in support of national and regional HIV programs, and the long term sustainability of HIV related programs.

ASP Board of Trustees namely, Dr Jojo Sescon, President, Dr Caloy Calica, BOT member and 2 members and colleagues attended the ASHM Leadership and Mentoring Program-Australasian Society for HIV Medicine (ASHM) in time with the 2014 AIDS Conference in Melbourne Australia.

ASP is certainly keened with this new endeavour by joining this regional society. This will further strengthen ASP organizationally an opportunity to engage with other professional societies in Asia and the Pacific, very timely , as ASP take on its preparation for the 2015 ASEAN Integration. It is an avenue for knowledge management, resource sharing , networking/ partnership development in the region.

Download the newsletter here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzYcCzvsXGxlblR2OW5HTXNTQnM/view?usp=sharing

For 30 years, from 1984 to present there were a total of 20,424 HIV and AIDS cases reported and it’s constantly increasing. With the changing drivers and trends of the epidemic, it is now the time to go back and assess what we did best and what we missed out.

This year’s theme “The Evidence: A Roundtable Discussion on HIV and AIDS in the Philippines,” will surface and review the current evidence on what is really happening in the country and trace where are we now. There are six themed sessions: Integration of HIV and AIDS in the Education Curriculum, HIV Counseling and Testing, HIV Testing for Minors, Anti-Retroviral (ARV) Treatment in Pregnant Women, ARV Treatment Guidelines, and Human Rights on HIV and AIDS. Distinguished speakers who are experts from the region will elaborate on the best practices that may be effective at the regional level, local program implementers will discuss current policies, coverage extent of reach and challenges, and people living with HIV (PLHIV) will share their personal experiences and advocacy agenda points for consideration.

&nbsp

We are inviting you to join us on this important event. Let us talk, discuss and look at ways on how to can move forward. Through continued and strengthened solidarity, we will be able to rise above the challenges and remain practical and strategic in approaches to ultimately curb the Philippine HIV epidemic. It is everyone’s concern. None of us can do this alone, but together, we can