BANGKOK, June 14, 2017 – Reducing rising rates of HIV transmission among Asian gay men through the innovative use of digital communications is the focus of a special event which opened today in Bangkok. Connecting Asia is a three-day regional consultation – the first event of its kind in Asia – that will help over 150 HIV and community health workers from 22 countries across the region improve how they use information and communication technologies (ICT) to get gay men and men who have sex with men (MSM) to connect with HIV prevention, testing and treatment.

"Social networking and social media are opening doors to inclusiveness like never before," said U.S. Ambassador Glyn T. Davies, who gave the opening address at the event. "The Internet allows for more voices to be heard, more perspectives to be shared, and more effective solutions to be reached.  Social media platforms offer innovative new tools to help hasten an end to AIDS."

The event is supported by United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) LINKAGES Project implemented by FHI360, and by UNAIDS.

Asia has been experiencing a rapidly escalating HIV epidemic among MSM. The Commission on AIDS in Asia has indicated that by 2020 close to half of all new HIV infections in the region will be among MSM, and data from local researchers indicate the issue is particularly significant among young MSM in urban areas. HIV prevalence among MSM is reaching as high as 32 percent in Jakarta and 22 percent in Kuala Lumpur. In Bangkok almost one in three MSM is living with HIV.

Organized by APCOM, a regional community network, Connecting Asia convenes frontline HIV and community health workers with leading experts from the ICT and HIV sectors. These include the vice president of global gay dating app, Blued; the head of Google Thailand; content producers from MTV; award winning HIV educators, specialist academics; and experts from USAID, UNAIDS and UNICEF.

Participants will explore topics such as promoting HIV prevention and testing via social media and mobile dating apps, as well as using ICT to help people with HIV get treatment. There will also be a challenge to develop new ICT based HIV initiatives that could potentially attract international development funding.

“Advances in ICT are rapidly changing the way gay men and MSM connect with each other, as well as how they access and consume content,” APCOM Executive Director Midnight Poonkasetwattana said. “As community educators, we need to ensure we’re right there alongside them with messaging that’s effective in terms of technology as well as culture.”

See more photos here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskYyazEw

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