The Mekong Partnership and Beyond helps UNICEF realize its goal in the East Asia and Pacific region to "reduce HIV transmission and to reduce the impacts of the epidemic on children, young people and families, through increasing the effectiveness of national and intercountry responses to HIV/AIDS".
UNICEF draws on the experience of countries with more developed responses to extend help across the region. A region-wide focus and a proven technical and financial support mechanism encourage and support multi-agency collaboration at country and inter-country levels, wherever possible with the active participation of people with or affected by HIV/AIDS.
Strategic priorities for UNICEF HIV/AIDS programming in East Asia and the Pacific include:
Going to Scale
Many new approaches in HIV/AIDS prevention and care developed during the last few years are ready for expansion to reach wider populations. The Mekong Partnership and Beyond prioritizes advocacy and support for rapid expansion and dissemination of successful initiatives within and between countries, in order to benefit the largest number of people.
Particularly Vulnerable Populations
Mass media, the school system and other wide-coverage mechanisms can bring HIV/AIDS/STI awareness, prevention and care to large populations. However, they often miss the populations who are most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.
Through the Mekong Partnership and Beyond, UNICEF is helping countries to effectively target the most vulnerable and hard-to-access groups. Key target populations include:
- ethnic and linguistic minorities
- out-of-school youth, particularly street youth
- migrant workers, particularly cross-border migrants
- youth in the sex industry
- people affected by HIV/AIDS
Focus on Adolescents and Young People
Almost half of new infections in the region are among adolescents and young people age 15 to 24 years. The particular pressures, opportunities and characteristics of adolescents and young people demand specific programming strategies. UNICEF puts special emphasis on programming for this group. The Regional Taskforce on Youth and HIV Vulnerability, which UNICEF coordinates, provides a structured opportunity for exchange and action.
Sharing Between Countries
The Mekong Partnership and Beyond framework makes it far easier for UNICEF to facilitate study visits, professional attachments and professional/staff exchanges for key decision-makers and staff, both within and between countries. Thailand still hosts the majority of these exchanges, through a comprehensive Technical Cooperation between Developing Countries (TCDC) program approved by the Thai Government through the Department of Technical and Economic Cooperation (DTEC). Other countries have more and more to offer as their HIV/AIDS programs develop.
UNICEF also accelerates the sharing of successful project experiences and policy directions through documentation and making use of its region-wide technical and activity support network.
The regional focus and regional mechanisms under the Mekong Partnership and Beyond perform a valuable advocacy role, allowing UNICEF to raise the profile, nationally and regionally, of effective interventions in sensitive areas such as harm reduction, condom promotion with young people, and the value of involving people infected and affected.
For more information on country-level activities, see the individual country reports.
