At the heart of the root of the epidemic is stigma and discrimination. It’s an engine that helps spread the disease with fear and ignorance, giving it wings to spread all over the region.

A regional update of AIDS in Asia. The HIV epidemic in Asia and the Pacific is one of the most diverse in the world, with epidemiological trends varying widely depending on the country and sub-region. Epidemics in Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar show declining HIV prevalence, while those in Vietnam, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea are growing. New infections are also increasing in populous countries such as China and Bangladesh.

Coal, China’s black gold, is being mined and burned in increasing quantities – more than two billion metric tons in 2006 – in order to fuel China’s booming economy. Seventy percent of China’s energy comes from coal, the dirtiest of all fuels to produce energy.

After centuries of slaughter, is whaling finally on the decline?

 Raising awareness of human trafficking through film.

Life on the streets of Davao in the Philippines is tough, especially for the city’s youth. Drugs, prostitution and violence are daily realities. For many teenage girls, belonging to a gang provides protection and a sense of belonging.

In 1999, the Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC) opened its doors in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Over the past 10 years, the AHC and other programmes of Friends have gained the attention of national and international communities, garnering endorsements and requests for collaboration from Cambodia’s Ministry of Health, as well as non-governmental organisations (NGO s) such as Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Why Nepalese children are performing in circuses.