Satellite Meeting
Ministries of Public Works and Transport: Key Partners for HIV Prevention in the Infrastructure Sector
Introductory Remarks by
Ursula Schaefer-Preuss
Vice President, Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development
Asian Development Bank
At the 9th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific
12 August 2009
Jakarta, Indonesia
Introduction
Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen: good afternoon. I am very pleased to be here today, representing the Asian Development (ADB). Also, on behalf of ADB, I want to express my thanks to the conference organizers and our host, the Government of Indonesia. It is a privilege for me to be here and welcome all of you to this satellite session in support of the ministries of public works and transport and their important role in preventing the spread of HIV.
Particularly, I would like to acknowledge the following for their important participation: H.E. Lim Sidenine, Secretary of State of Cambodia's Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Mr. Khanngeun Khamvongsa, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Lao People's Democratic Republic's (PDR's) Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Dr. Chansy Phimphachanh, Director of Centre for HIV/AIDS/ STI (CHAS), Ministry of Health of Lao PDR, and Dr. Tran Thi Bich Tra, Deputy Director of the Information, Education and Communication Department - Viet Nam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control, Ministry of Health. ADB has had the privilege of supporting these Governments in developing and implementing HIV strategic plans for their infrastructure sectors, and we hope that through this session, we can encourage other ministries of public works and transport to take similar action.
HIV and Infrastructure
As you are aware, according to the Commission for AIDS in Asia, men who buy sex are the single most powerful driving force of the HIV epidemics in Asia. Given that infrastructure development increases the mobility of people, it is likely that the demand for commercial and casual sex along transport corridors and in popular transit and destination sites will rise accordingly. This directly affects the infrastructure sector. According to the Commission, the confluence of '"mobile men" - away from family and social connections - with money, access to alcohol, interaction with local communities and other mobile populations that often follow construction camps, all make for a heightened HIV-vulnerable setting.
ADB's Strategic Response
As an institution that is helping to fulfill Asia's massive need for infrastructure development, ADB recognizes its obligation and opportunity to prevent and mitigate HIV risks associated with such development. In 2006, ADB signed the Joint Initiative for Mitigating HIV/AIDS in the Infrastructure Sector, together with the African Development Bank, U.K. Department for International Development, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, and the World Bank, clearly identifies our commitment to addressing the possible negative impact of ADB-financed infrastructure projects, including communicable diseases, such as HIV. A significant feature of ADB's long-term strategic framework, Strategy 2020, is the importance that ADB attaches to reducing the adverse environmental and social impacts of development. A new ADB Sustainable Transport Initiative will assist the region in meeting its needs for transport infrastructure while paying attention to mitigating adverse environmental and social impacts. In the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), infrastructure-related risk mitigation receives special attention as indicated in our HIV strategic directions paper for the subregion.
Through years of practical experience, ADB has adopted a more comprehensive response that includes preconstruction and post-construction initiatives aimed at building community resilience for HIV prevention, anti-trafficking and safe migration. Target groups are mobile and migrant populations and affected communities associated with infrastructure projects and growth centers along economic corridors. ADB hosted a satellite session here yesterday that discussed this new comprehensive approach. We are very excited about the prospect of creative partnerships to scale-up this effort.
Apart from project-specific interventions, ADB also recognizes the importance of adopting a more sustainable, programmatic approach. We support policy and institutional initiatives that strengthen a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder response at national and regional levels. Since last year, ADB has been working with the infrastructure and health ministries of Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam to develop and/or "operationalize" HIV strategic and action plans for their respective infrastructure sectors. With this technical assistance, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic and Viet Nam have gathered support to initiate policy changes within their infrastructure ministries. Cambodia, for example, was able to successfully include HIV prevention in the official curricula of its driving schools. To further support these plans, ADB has also taken the lead in jointly developing a set of practice guidelines that can provide some standardization of HIV and infrastructure efforts among various stakeholders in the GMS.
Closing
We are very fortunate to have our distinguished partners from the ministries of public works and transport here today to present their very valuable own experiences, lessons and recommendations. I am also pleased that our HIV and Infrastructure Consultant, Ms. Charmaine Cu-Unjieng, can present the ongoing GMS initiative to harmonize HIV and infrastructure initiatives.
I encourage everyone to actively engage in the discussion after the presentations. I hope that we all leave here inspired and more convinced that the infrastructure sector, as represented by the ministries of public works and transport, plays a crucial role in the comprehensive response against HIV and AIDS. Thank you very much again, and I look forward to the productive discussions.
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