NEW DELHI: Noting the alarming incidence of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among men who have sex with men (MSM), gay men and transgender people in the Asian and Pacific countries, the community has called upon governments, civil society and donors to abide by international human rights commitments on the issue. They sought a significant increase in funds for the protection, treatment and support services.

In the Delhi Declaration of Collaboration, passed at the end of the recent four-day workshop on `Male Sexual Health in Asia and the Pacific International Consultation: Risks and Responsibilities,' the community urged the international community to acknowledge these people as equal partners in development and in regional responses to HIV and STI, and provide institutional, financial and technical support to enhance the capacity of MSMs and transgender people to be more involved in decision making, policy development and programme planning.

Recognising that fear-based approaches to HIV prevention could intensify the stigmatisation of HIV-positive people within their communities and undermine effective prevention, the declaration calls the legal, judicial, socio-cultural and policy impediments to effective HIV support programmes and discriminatory practices. The declaration calls upon governments to recognise the potential for a significant increase in HIV and other STIs among MSMs, gay men and transgender people in their country and incorporate this community as a priority population in their national plans and as targets for Universal Access to HIV Prevention, Care, Support and Treatment. The governments must involve the community in joint reviews of their plans.

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