DUSHANBE, October 21, 2008, Asia-Plus — Third two-day Central Asian Forum of Partners working in the field of HIV epidemic counteraction opened in Almaty, Kazakhstan on October 21.
The Forum, initiated by Central Asia AIDS Control Project (CAAP) and the UNAIDS, has brought together some 130 representatives of health and justice ministries, republican AIDS centers, sanitary and epidemiological services, nongovernmental AIDS-service organizations as well as religious leaders, journalists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to discuss the regional strategy of HIV infection epidemic counteraction in Central Asia.
Representatives of a number of UN regional agencies (UNICEF, UNODC, UNIFEM, UNESCO, UNDP, WHO, IOM and World bank) as well as international organizations working in the region on HIV infection prevention programs such as GFTAM, AFEW, Capacity Project/USAID, CARHAP/DFID, CDC/CAR are also participating in the forum.
According to Andrey Sidorin, Communications Coordinator and strategist, CAAP, the Strategy will be presented by CAAP Executive Director, Prof. Tilek Meimanaliev. This issue is very important taking into consideration the HIV infection growth rate in all Central Asian A countries.
The discussion of the regional strategy will allow improving the coordination and harmonization of international organizations and projects work in the Central Asian countries. National reports of Central Asia’s states on commitments fulfilling reflected in the “Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS” approved by all UN member countries at a special session of UN General Assembly on AIDS in 2001 will also be presented at the Forum.
The issues of cooperation improving with the purpose to realize national Programs on HIV infection epidemic counteraction in CA countries are being discussed at the plenary session by the representatives of PLWH community, interested governmental institutions, journalists and Muslim religious leaders.
More detailed discussion of the main Regional Strategy priorities defining and ways of civil society organizations’ participation in AIDS programs effectiveness improving will be conducted in the thematic working groups during the second day of the Forum. Elaborated recommendations will be reflected in the Resolution which will be adopted by the participants of the Third Forum of Partners.
Central Asian Forum of Partners working on HIV epidemic counteraction is a big regional event in the field of regional initiatives coordination on HIV infection counteraction. Since 2006 Forum of Partners has been conducted every year in one of the countries of the region. The Forum is initiated by Central Asia AIDS Control Project and the UNAIDS. The previous Forum of partners working in the field of HIV epidemic counteraction took place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in October 2007.
According to UNAIDS, more than 40,000 HIV sufferers and AIDS-infected currently live in Central Asia: 12,000 in Kazakhstan; 16,000 in Uzbekistan; 10,000 in Tajikistan; and 4,200 in Kyrgyzstan.
