Introduction

There is good evidence globally that well designed and sustained policies and prevention programmes can reduce the rate of transmission of HIV. The combination of preventive strategies that a country may adopt should, for the most part, be driven by its local epidemiological patterns.

Economic, social, cultural and behavioural factors are also important from the perspective of better understanding the factors that fuel vulnerability and risk in any given setting.

UNFPA should consider promoting and where possible supporting countries to conduct in-depth analysis of the demographic, social, economic, cultural, behavioural and epidemiological factors in order to ensure the most appropriate multisectoral response to the epidemic.

In many regions where UNFPA provides support, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is still in its early stages and/or in transition from a nascent and concentrated epidemic to a more generalized one.

Categorising countries as either low or high-prevalence based on national prevalence rates can be misleading as it tends to hide serious epidemics that are initially concentrated in certain localities or among specific population groups and also critical, rapidly increasing epidemics.

When strategic decisions and priorities need to be made it is necessary, that these often hidden realities, are taken into account.