STD & Infectious Diseases

HIV/AIDS & STDs

Diagnosis and Treatment

Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC)

Public Awareness

Sexually Transmitted Infection Syndromes

Syphilis and STD

Tuberculosis and Hepatitis

Viral, Fungal, Bacterial & Protozoan STDs

Epidemiology of STD & Infectious Diseases

Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases

Reproductive & Pediatric Infectious Diseases

More recently, several countries in Asia have documented large reductions in common STIs. Thailand measured a 95% drop in common curable STIs during the 1990s following introduction of the 100% condom use programme implemented by STI clinic staff working with sex work establishments. The largest increase in reported STD cases between 2014 to 2015 occurred in P&S syphilis (19 percent), followed by gonorrhea (13 percent) and chlamydia (6 percent). AIDS is among the leading causes of death in present-day Sub-Saharan Africa. The highest rates are found in Asia and Africa and lower rates are in the Americas and Europe.

According to the WHO, there are 340 million new cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydiasis and trichomoniasis in the 15–49 age group. HPV infections constitute 5,00,000 cases/year of which 80% are reportedly from developing countries. Every year, around 300,000 cervical cancer deaths are registered due to HPV. The same data show approximately 1,370,000 deaths by acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) worldwide in the countries reporting data (notably, the United States and China are not included in the reported data) (WHO, 2015b). According to the American Social Health Organization, one out of four teens in the United States becomes infected with an STD each year. Number of new Infectious Diseases cases in US

• Number of new tuberculosis cases: 9,582 
• Number of new salmonella cases: 50,634 
• Number of new Lyme disease cases: 36,307 
• Number of new meningococcal disease cases: 556 

• Number of visits to physician offices for infectious and parasitic diseases: 20.2 million
•Number of hospital outpatient department visits for infectious and parasitic diseases: 3.9 million

Why Japan?

STDs are definitely as common in Japan as in any other modern industrial society. In Japan, one of the world’s wealthiest societies, awareness of the risks posed by the disease is almost non-existent among many young people, and yet their sexual behavior is increasingly risky. Condom use in Japanese society is low. HIV is still relatively uncommon in Japan, but the incidence is slowly increasing. While HIV infection rates in Japan remain officially low at around 6,000, experts fear the real total could be higher, and will get a lot worse unless attitudes begin to change to a disease many Japanese believe only foreigners can catch. According to the Shinjuku-based National Institute of Infectious Diseases, reported cases of this ancient scourge of mankind appear to be making a comeback. While 831 cases were reported in 2008, the number declined to 621 in 2010. By the end of October this year, the count was up to 2,037—up from 1,670 for all of 2014. Infectious diseases kill more people worldwide than any other single cause. Between October and December of last year, 257 new cases of HIV infection were reported to the ministry, of whom 241 were Japanese and 16 foreign nationals. Of these, for 216 the source of infection was in Japan, as opposed to 10 overseas. (Sources for the other 31 were uncertain.) Broken down by age segment, the hardest-hit group was those ages 30-39, with 94 cases, followed by 83 cases for ages 20-29, and 59 cases for ages 40-49.

Japan works to address the three major infectious diseases of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund), and thus far has contributed US$1.29 billion to the Global Fund. In addition, Japan carries out efforts to promote organic collaboration with its bilateral support in order to ensure that countermeasures for the three major infectious diseases are implemented effectively in developing countries that are supported by the Global Fund. For HIV/AIDS countermeasures, Japan raises awareness to prevent new infections and disseminates voluntary counseling and testing services. AAR Japan conducts HIV/AIDS-related operations in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, and its suburbs, where people have been seriously affected by the disease.

JAPANetwork is a great website based in Nagoya set up by volunteers throughout Japan to increase HIV/AIDS awareness.

Major Associations in Japan

• Association for Aid and Relief, Japan
• Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases
• Japan Medical Association
• Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA)
• SciDev.Net
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
• International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers

Products Manufacturing Companies for Infectious Diseases and STD in Japan

•  Shigematsu Co., Ltd
• Shionogi
•  ViroQuest
• ViiV Healthcare Ltd.
• Otsuka Pharmaceutical
• Alfresa Holdings Corporation
• Mogi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
• Alfresa Pharma Corporation
• Wakunaga Pharmaceutical
• ARKRAY
• Oncolys BioPharma
• BioReliance (SAFC)
• IDAC Theranostics
• Mochida Pharmaceutical
• Nippon Kayaku

Counseling and Support Services in Japan:

TELL (Tokyo English Life Line)

Gifu AIDS Support (Telephone Counseling and Support Group in Gifu)

Japan HIV Center (Telephone Counseling and Support Group in Nagoya)

JaNP+ (Network for People with HIV/AIDS in Japan)

Life AIDS Project (Social Support for PLWHA)

HEARTY NETWORK (Gay HIV+ Support Group)