I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to attend the APACC conference. It has been a very inspiring conference, motivating and very relevant to my practice. The key themes throughout the conference are applicable and relevant in the Australian context. Concerns about confidentiality, stigma and discrimination from people at risk of, or living with HIV, are present within the Asia Pacific region. It is humbling to see the difficulties faced by affected communities throughout the region and the significant challenges of funding, discrimination, poverty, access to inclusive healthcare and treatment. However, it is invigorating to see the passion, dedication and creativity of communities and health care providers to provide these services in their culturally diverse settings.
Daisuke Mizushima
This was an oral presentation and a poster of the same research about testing the cure rates of Azithromycin 1g used for treating anal Chlamydia in HIV positive and negative MSM in Japan. Daisuke acknowledged that previous studies had showed a high failure rate using Azithromycin to treat anal Chlamydia. The following slides describe the study undertaken in Japan:
This study looked at the prevalence, risk factors and health outcomes of depression and anxiety in PLHIV compared to matched controls. Reena stated that mental health issues were under reported and therefore under diagnosed and sadly under treated. She studied the issues of frailty in HIV positive older people and wanted to establish if there were interventions that could be used with young PLHIV to prevent mental health issues and frailty into the future.
Sepi Maulana Ardiansyah is a National Coordinator of Indonesia Young Key Population Network and talked frorm a personal and professional perspective about living with HIV and the challenges of being MSM in Indonesia. His presentation was from the heart and showed his passion and his concerns about the negative effect of stigma, discrimination and abuse towards MSM and people living with HIV in his own country.
David Cooper Memorial Lecture: Current efforts to control the epidemic in the region, Nittaya Phanuphak
This was a very powerful and fast-moving presentation. The main message would appear to be if we want to control HIV we need to get in there and do it! Nittaya advocated strongly that we need to highlight the gaps in our HIV prevention, particularly to PEP and PrEP provision and ensure that all at risk of HIV can access PrEP. She highlighted that in Thailand 4000 people are taking PrEP, but it is they estimated that to reduce HIV infection rates 1 million would need to be accessing it. The challenge is how to provide access to marginalised and hard to reach groups. Nittaya advocated for the de-medicalisation of HIV treatment and prevention through multidisciplinary working nurse led PEP, PrEP and treatment initiation. But key to the de-medicalisation is the inclusion of peers to provide support and treatment navigation service and facilitate same day provision.
