Australian Human Rights Commission

HIV and AIDS remain a major global public health issue with the largest burden in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in the sub-Saharan African region experience intersecting vulnerabilities that may increase their exposure to HIV, while also constraining their engagement with treatment and care. HIV testing is crucial in the AIDS response for both prevention and treatment. Therefore, understanding HIV testing practices, especially among priority populations. We examined HIV testing and associated factors among AGYW (15-24 years) in 28 SSA countries. We analysed Demographic and Health Survey datasets from 28 SSA countries from 2010 to 2022 focusing on data collected from AGYW aged 15-24 (n = 58,263) who had screened for HIV in the last survey conducted in each country. We merged all weighted datasets from 28 countries to generate the prevalence of HIV testing among AGYW in each country and to provide an overall prevalence in SSA. We then conducted bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression analysis to examine factors associated with HIV testing and presented the results in crude odds ratio [cOR] and adjusted odds ratio [aOR] with corresponding confidence intervals (CIs). Our results showed that the overall prevalence of HIV testing among AGYW across the 28 SSA countries was 63%, with Zambia and Mali having the highest and lowest prevalence at 76% 6.70% respectively. Being in the age bracket 20-24 [aOR = 2.22, 95% CI = 2.08-2.37], comprehensive HIV knowledge [aOR = 3.76, 95% CI = 2.60-5.43], higher formal education [aOR = 2.23, 95% CI = 2.02-2.46], and three and above lifetime sexual partners [aOR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.29-1.55] were all associated with HIV testing. Also, past year experience of STI [aOR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.11-1.41], being employed [aOR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.02-1.16], pregnancy history [aOR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.03-1.14], high household wealth index [aOR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.97-2.59] and being in a union [aOR = 3.23, 95% CI = 2.97-3.51] were associated with HIV testing. Concerningly, 21 countries, representing 75% of the countries included in the current study, have HIV testing coverage below 50% for AGYW. Collaborative efforts are needed to fast-track HIV screening/testing for AGYW considering their disproportionate vulnerability to HIV exposure.

In Nepal, education is legally recognized as a fundamental human right, yet for millions of children, it remains an unrealized promise. The country’s rights-based approach (RBA), rooted in the 2015 Constitution and international conventions, envisions education as a catalyst for social justice. However, despite this progressive legal architecture, a profound gap persists between policy and practice. Employing a qualitative narrative review of secondary sources, this paper utilizes the Participation, Accountability, Non-discrimination, Empowerment, and Linkage (PANEL) (and Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability, Adaptability (AAAQ) (frameworks as analytical lenses. The study investigates how the RBA's implementation is crippled by systemic obstacles, including chronic underfunding, entrenched socio-economic and caste-based discrimination, geographic isolation, and weak institutional capacity. These deep-seated barriers perpetuate a system where education, intended as a great equalizer, functions instead as a mechanism of exclusion, particularly for marginalized communities. This analysis argues that bridging this gap is a matter of social justice that transcends mere legal commitments. Fulfilling the right to education in Nepal requires unwavering political will to implement comprehensive reforms—including decentralized governance, robust accountability systems, and the integration of inclusive pedagogies. Ultimately, ensuring education as a fundamental right is an ethical obligation to unlock the full potential of every child in Nepal.

Abstract Inspired by the dynamic assembly of fibrillar proteins in biology, research on supramolecular polymers has progressed rapidly toward the development of synthetic multicomponent systems. In this review, we highlight recent advances in the study of supramolecular polymers in solution, with an emphasis on how combined computational and experimental approaches deepen our understanding of these systems. In particular, these studies have elucidated the mechanisms of protein aggregation and provided insights into the characteristics of synthetic systems. We discuss the classification of these polymers and systems, highlighting how their different interaction modes and microstructures give rise to diverse structural and functional properties. In addition, we outline the emerging role of machine learning as a powerful tool to navigate the inherent complexity of these systems, thereby enhancing strategies for rational design and characterization. This review highlights how computational approaches, from traditional modeling to emerging machine learning techniques, enable the experimental characterization and understanding of supramolecular polymer chemistry.

Inspired by the dynamic assembly of fibrillar proteins in biology, research on supramolecular polymers has progressed rapidly toward the development of synthetic multicomponent systems. In this review, we highlight recent advances in the study of supramolecular polymers in solution, with an emphasis on how combined computational and experimental approaches deepen our understanding of these systems. In particular, these studies have elucidated the mechanisms of protein aggregation and provided insights into the characteristics of synthetic systems. We discuss the classification of these polymers and systems, highlighting how their different interaction modes and microstructures give rise to diverse structural and functional properties. In addition, we outline the emerging role of machine learning as a powerful tool to navigate the inherent complexity of these systems, thereby enhancing strategies for rational design and characterization. This review highlights how computational approaches, from traditional modeling to emerging machine learning techniques, enable the experimental characterization and understanding of supramolecular polymer chemistry.

This study examined the role of coping resources – self-efficacy (problem-focused) and emotion regulation (emotion-focused) – in supporting mental health and social functioning among refugees in a transit setting in Indonesia. Using a latent profile analysis approach with 1,214 participants, three distinct coping profiles were identified: high coping resources, high emotion-focused coping resource, and low coping resources. Results showed that high coping resources were associated with better mental health and social functioning outcomes. Emotion-focused coping resources were more strongly associated with better mental health, while problem-focused coping resources were closely linked to social functioning. This study highlighted the importance of coping flexibility and offers practical implications for strength-based interventions in transit displacement settings.

Universities have a unique role in advancing social justice and fostering inclusive environments. This responsibility extends to creating spaces where all community members feel seen, recognised and celebrated. The visibility of role models for the broad and diverse university community is important for building acceptance and belonging. The ‘Celebrating UNSW Women’ project set out to address the historical underrepresentation of women across campus spaces at UNSW. Traditionally, campus buildings were named after men, however with 46 per cent of students1 and a significant portion of staff identifying as women; this lack of representation was seen as a missed opportunity. Prior to this project, only one building at UNSW was named after a woman, highlighting the gender disparity. Launched in March 2022, the project aimed to rectify this imbalance by renaming buildings and creating a physical presence on campus. This paper describes the initiative, led by UNSW Chancellor David Gonski AC and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Eileen Baldry AO, involved multiple stakeholders and was executed in three phases: renaming buildings, creating a physical and virtual trail and developing an equitable naming policy. This project not only enhanced representation but also promoted a sense of belonging and inspiration among women, contributing to long-term equity and leadership in the sector.

Patient work refers to the quotidian labour undertaken by individuals to manage health, often unrecognised by health systems. This article argues that anticipated and received stigma and inclusivity labour comprise additional forms of patient work specific to minority populations. We draw on a case study of gay and bisexual men's experiences accessing healthcare services related to HIV prevention and testing in New South Wales (NSW), Australia's most populous state. Although new HIV diagnoses have reduced in NSW, these declines have not been uniformly observed. This study aimed to understand experiences of stigma related to accessing healthcare amongst two priority populations identified in the state's HIV strategy: gay and bisexual men who are young or who are living in regional and outer metropolitan suburbs. We interviewed 32 participants in 2023, recruited via social media advertisements and email invitations, and analysed data thematically. Our findings emphasise how disclosure of sexual orientation and/or HIV status operates as a form of inclusivity labour, in which patients look for cues from health providers that disclosure will be safe and respected. Other forms of patient work required to navigate access to HIV prevention services included finding appropriate providers likely to prescribe HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and managing service refusal from general practitioners. Patient work appeared to also be compounded by intersecting issues of anticipated and vicarious stigma, unavailability of sexual health services in regional areas, long waiting times, and increased costs of healthcare services. Although experiences of enacted stigma in healthcare were infrequently reported, interview accounts suggested that participants undertook extensive patient work to minimise or avoid stigmatising encounters with health providers. Focusing on patient work in the context of stigma illuminates the labour of underserved populations required to access safe and culturally competent healthcare services (including HIV prevention and testing), suggesting areas of unmet need from health systems.

The article examines the experience accumulated by the European Union in the field of energy resources management and the prevention of threats in the energy sector. The relevance of the chosen research topic is due to the fact that the difficult economic and political situation in the world has forced the European Union to refocus its energy policy on the production and use of renewable energy sources. The purpose of the study is to analyze the institutional experience of the European Union in the field of energy resources management and prevention of threats to energy security. A systematic approach was used as the main one, which made it possible to analyze the accumulated experience of the European Union in managing energy resources obtained in the process of functioning and development of the energy security system. The problem of providing clean energy is becoming an inherent challenge not only for Europe, but also for the entire world community, given climate change, growing global demand for energy and uncertainty about future supplies. The experience of the European Union in the development of alternative energy can be useful for other countries, in particular, the countries of Central Asia, since it is to the countries of this region that the interests of the European Union are reoriented in the conditions of the energy crisis that has erupted. In conclusion, the author concludes that all measures taken by the European Union today are mainly focused on a coordinated reduction in demand for energy resources, without taking into account the supply side. In this regard, two sets of initiatives aimed at solving this problem are proposed.

Sex and gender are inadequately considered in health and medical research, policy and practice, leading to preventable disparities in health and wellbeing. Several global institutions, journals, and funding bodies have developed policies and guidelines to improve the inclusion of diverse participants and consideration of sex and gender in research design and reporting and the delivery of clinical care. However, according to recent evaluations, these policies have had limited impact on the inclusion of diverse research participants, adequate reporting of sex and gender data and reducing preventable inequities in access to, and quality provision of, healthcare. In Australia, the Sex and Gender Policies in Medical Research (SGPMR) project aims to address sex and gender bias in health and medical research by (i) examining how sex and gender are currently considered in Australian research policy and practice; (ii) working with stakeholders to develop policy interventions; and (iii) understanding the wider impacts, including economic, of improved sex and gender consideration in Australian health and medical research. In this paper we describe the development of a theory of change (ToC) for the SGPMR project. The ToC evolved from a two-stage process consisting of key stakeholder interviews and a consultation event. The ToC aims to identify the pathways to impact from improved consideration of sex and gender in health and medical research, policy and practice, and highlight how key activities and policy levers can lead to improvements in clinical practice and health outcomes. In describing the development of the ToC, we present an entirely novel framework for outlining how sex and gender can be appropriately considered within the confines of health and medical research, policy and practice.