Know the epidemic: responding to HIV in three key communities

July 2014

The number of new HIV diagnoses in Australia remains the highest in 20 years, according to data released today by UNSW’s Kirby Institute.

HIV is a worldwide issue. But rather than a single, global epidemic, it’s better understood as a number of diverse epidemics that require targeted responses.

UNAIDS’s “know your epidemic, know your response” recognises that the communities most vulnerable to the epidemic are gay and bisexual men, people who inject drugs, and sex workers.

The Australian response to managing the prevention and treatment of HIV among people who inject drugs has involved all key players: government, health professionals, researchers, scientists, community groups and the affected populations, from which there is much to learn. Unfortunately, the response has not been as successful in the wider Asia-Pacific region.

Read the full article at The Conversation