East Asia and the Pacific

This key considerations document, developed by UNICEF and WHO, expands on the 2020 “last mile” operational guidance, with specific considerations for countries with lower HIV prevalence. It builds on the experiences of countries that have been validated for EMTCT of HIV and syphilis and translates the valuable lessons and promising practices of these countries into an operational framework for national programmes, consisting of 12 strategies and enablers to guide efforts towards Fast-Tracking EMTCT in lower prevalence countries.

It is based on a review of experiences, key lessons learned and promising practices in implementation of EMTCT interventions in lower prevalence countries, including Sri Lanka and Thailand, which have been validated by WHO for having eliminated vertical transmission of HIV, and three countries with the potential to achieve EMTCT by 2030: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana and India.

Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) is a priority area for the UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO). As a cross cutting issue for health/HIV, child protection, early childhood development and education, adolescent development and participation, gender, and disability, an emphasis has been placed on systems strengthening and a longer-term investment in MHPSS to ensure availability, quality and access to a multi-tiered system to meet the needs of children and adolescents, as well as parents and caregivers. This brief presents a snapshot of the multisectoral and adaptive approaches of UNICEF across East Asia and the Pacific to MHPSS during the COVID-19 response, that were undertaken in collaboration with government, civil society, development partners and young people’s networks.