ASAP emerged out of the first International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP), Canberra in August 1990.
ASAP has an Executive Committee (ExCo) which is a guardian and overseer of ASAP. ASAP also has a Public Officer who is responsible for assuring that ASAP activities and elections respect and uphold integrity and commitment to constitution and Operating Guidelines. ASAP has elected President and Vice President of two-years tenure. They are volunteers like ExCo members. ASAP permanent Secretariat is in Bangkok, Thailand.
ASAP member organisations are found in countries throughout Asia and the Pacific region.
Professor John Dwyer AO, PhD, FRACP, Doc Uni (Hon) ACU
Immunologist and Emeritus Professor UNSW
Achievements:
ICAAP1 (Canberra, Australia)
ICAAP2 (New Delhi, India)
ICAAP3 (Chiang Mai, Thailand)
ICAAP4 (Manila, Philippines)
Dr. Roy Chan
Past President and Honorary member of ASAP
Founder and President of Action for AIDS Singapore (1988)
Regional Director of International Union against STI Asia Pacific Branch
Adjunct Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, National University of Singapore
Achievements:
ICAAP5 (Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia)
ICAAP6 (Melbourne, Austalia)
Dennis Altman
Professor of Politics
Director of Institute for Human Security, LaTrobe University, Melbourne
Member of Governing Council of International AIDS Society (2004)
Board Member of Oxfam Australia
Achievement:
ICAAP7 (Kobe, Japan)
Myung-Hwan Cho
Professor, Dept. of Life Science
College of Science, Konkuk University, South Korea
Achievements:
ICAAP8 (Colombo, Sri Lanka)
ICAAP9 (Bali, Indonesia)
Zahid Hussein
President
Sustainable Resource Foundation (SuRF), Pakistan
Achievements:
ICAAP10 (Busan Republic of South Korea)
Marina Mahathir (From Year 2001 to 2005)
Dr Tasnim Azim (Bangladesh) (From Year 2005 to 2007)
Assoc: Professor Elizabeth Dax (Australia) (From Year 2007 to 2009)
Professor Sukhontha Kongsin (Thailand) (From Year 2009-2011)
Anthony Pramuairatana (Thailand)
Carlos L Calica (Philippines)
Hiroshi Hasegawa (Japan)
Marina Mahathir (Malaysia)
Myung-Hwan Cho (South Korea)
N M Samuel (India)
Oi Chu Lin (Hong Kong)
Roy Chan (Singapore)
Tasnim Azim (Bangladesh)
Werasit Sittitrai (Thailand)
Zhang Kong-Lai (China)
Anthony Pramuairatana (Thailand)
Anita Jowett (New Caledonia)
Carlos L Calica (Philippines)
Clement Malau (Papua New Guinea)
Dennis Altman (Australia)
Edward Cowley (New Zealand), (Member to 2004)
Hiroshi Hasegawa (Japan)
Kong-Lai Zhang (China), (Member to 2004)
Marina Mahathir (Malaysia)
Masahiro Kihara (Japan)
Myung-Hwan Cho (South Korea)
Oi Chu Lin (Hong Kong)
Roy Chan (Singapore)
Takashi Kurimura (Japan)
Tasnim Azim (Bangladesh)
Zahid Hussein (Pakistan)
Zubairi Djoerban (Indonesia)
Dennis Altman (Australia)
Elizabeth Dax (Australia)
Kamanee Hapugalle (Sri Lanka)
Lok Prakash (India)
Myung-Hwan Cho (South Korea)
Oi-Chu Lin (Hong Kong PRC)
Tasnim Azim (Bangladesh)
Zahid Hussein (Pakistan)
Abdullah Denovan (Indonesia)
Dennis Altman (Australia)
Elizabeth Dax (Australia)
Lok Prakash (India)
Myung-Hwan Cho (South Korea)
Oi-Chu Lin (Hong Kong PRC)
Rachael Le Mesurier (New Zealand)
Roy Chan (Singapore)
Shiv Khare (Thailand)
Sukhontha Kongsin (Thailand)
Tasnim Azim (Bangladesh)
Zahid Hussein (Pakistan)
Myung-Hwan Cho (South Korea)
Oi-Chu Lin (Hong Kong PRC)
Rachael Le Mesurier (New Zealand)
Roy Chan (Singapore)
Shiv Khare (Thailand)
Sukhontha Kongsin (Thailand)
Zahid Hussein (Pakistan)
Andrew Tan (Malaysia)
Chizuko Ikegami (Japan)
Mr Steve Kraus (UNAIDS Representative, Thailand)
Dr. Praphan Phanuphak (IAS Representative,Thailand)
J.V.R Prasada Rao (Pulbic Officer, India)
Myung-Hwan Cho (South Korea)
Oi-Chu Lin (Hong Kong PRC)
Roy Chan (Singapore)
Shiv Khare (Thailand)
Sukhontha Kongsin (Thailand)
Zahid Hussein (Pakistan)
Andrew Tan (Malaysia)
Chizuko Ikegami (Japan)
N.M. Samuel (India)
Shale Ahmed (Bangladesh)
Mr Steve Kraus (UNAIDS Representative, Thailand)
Dr. Praphan Phanuphak (IAS Representative,Thailand)
J.V.R Prasada Rao (Pulbic Officer, India)
Weerasit Sittitrai (WHO, then UNAIDS)
J.V.R Prasada Rao (UNAIDS Regional Director)
N.M. Samuel (India)
Aikichi Iwamoto (Japan) (2007-2009)
John Dwyer (Australia)
Mukul Sharma (year 2010)
Scott Hearnden (year 2003 to 2009)
Jacob Yeo (Executive Officer of year 2001 to 2007)
Marina Mahathir (ICAAP9 Liasion person)
May Supattra Pisetpattanakul (Operation Manager from year 2008 to 2010)
Julie Hyejin Shin (Assistant to President and Finance Manager of year 2009)
Nicolette Chatelier Prugsamatz (EAFCC and Regional Coordinator from year 2010 to 2011)
Over more than 20 years, the International Congress on AIDS in Asia Pacific (ICAAP) has emerged as an effective venue for AIDS activists, people living with HIV/AIDS, policy makers, government functionaries, academics, clinicians, researchers, pharmaceutical companies, International agencies to gather and take stock of their activities. International AIDS Congress have evolved from being largely academic and biomedical in orientation to major gatherings of all those involved in HIV/AIDS work, and central focus points for discussion around development in the epidemic.
There is a growing demand for using the congress to build political alliances and commitment by governments and the business community to the epidemic. ICAAP brings people from various backgrounds in Asia and the Pacific and other regions to meet, share knowledge, skills, ideas, research findings related to HIV and AIDS. ICAAP is organized by a Local Organizing Committee (LOC) under the leadership of the Government to enhance ownership and strengthen the positive impact on the host country once in every 2 years.
The Government of Bangladesh, PPD and the Civil Society Organisations along with the support of UNAIDS, Academic Institutions and Donors Located in Bangladesh have been working together for organizing this international event in Bangladesh. It is expected that more than 4 thousand participant from the worldwide will attend in this gathering.
There are many countries around the world that restrict the entry, residence and stay of foreigners who are HIV positive. These countries perpetuate stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV by singling out HIV as a ‘dangerous disease’. While these restrictions are commonly referred to as “travel restrictions”, the effect these laws have on individuals and families is more serious than this term may imply.
People living with HIV often face barriers when they seek to enter other countries as visitors, immigrants, refugees, or for business. Entry regulations are distinguished in special regulations for tourist visas (short-term stays) or for residence visas, student visas and work permits (long-term stays more than 90 days). These barriers are discriminatory, and perpetuate and reinforce the stigma already faced by people living with HIV. Many states that enforce entry restrictions for people with HIV justify their policies wrongly for the purpose of protecting public health and the public purse. But there is no public health rationale for restricting liberty of movement or choice of residence on the grounds of HIV status.
An International Non-Governmental Organisation, committed to reduce the transmission and impact of HIV and AIDS in Asia and the Pacific Region.
ASAP is an independent non-governmental body of national research and advocacy organisations from Asia and the Pacific committed to reducing the transmission and impact of HIV/AIDS. It aims to:
ASAP aims to reduce the transmission and impact of HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific region. ASAP’s specific objectives include:
The aims and objectives will be achieved by:
ASAP promotes and stimulates opportunities for research, publication and communication. It publishes a quarterly newsletter that contains in-depth discussion on HIV and AIDS and offers the exchange of relevant information and technologies.