DUSHANBE, November 28, Asia-Plus – A partnership forum dedicated to World AIDS Day, which is marked on December 1, was held at the Kokhi Vahdat State Complex in Dushanbe on November 28.
Role of Tajikistan’s National Coordinating Committee for Combating HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria (NCC) in preventing spread of HIV/AIDS in the republic was one of major topics of the forum that brought together representatives from Tajikistan’s ministries of health and education, UNICEF and WHO COs, as well as NGOs and media.
The forum participants shared views on the current HIV situation in Tajikistan, and role of international organizations and NGOs in providing access to prophylaxis prevention and treatment of the disease in the republic.
During the forum, a ceremony of handover of the Jonathan Mann Award to the hospital of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) was held. The Jonathan Mann Award is handed over to persons and organizations for their significant contributions in the area of HIV/AIDS and drug abuse.
Besides, awards were handed over to winners of the contest organized by the Central Asian HIV/AIDS Project by among Tajikistan’s print and electronic media for the best coverage of HIV/AIDS problems. The Central Asian HIV/AIDS Project is funded by the World Bank and DFID (Great Britain).
Journalists from the republican, regional, city and district media participated in this contest for the best coverage of the problem of “HIV/AIDS — Prevention, Treatment and Care”, which is annually held in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
US$7,050 have been allocated to present awards for the best series of articles (US$500, US$400 and US$200 for the first, second and third places respectively), the best audio programs (US$300, US$200 and US$100 for the first, second and third places respectively), the best video materials (US$800, US$600 and US$400 for the first, second and third places respectively) and the best electronic materials (US$200, US$100 and US$50 for the first, second and third places respectively).
Journalists from the radio station Asia-Plus, Parvona Ahrori and Manizha Ahmadova, were recognized winners in the Best Audio Programs nomination, taking the first and the second places respectively. Correspondent from the Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service Firouz Barotov was ranked third in this nomination.
The partnership forum was initiated by the NNC Secretariat and the Ministry of Health under support of the UN theme Group on HIV/AIDS, POTENTIAL Project and CARHAP Project of the Tajik Branch of Open Society Institute/Assistance Foundation (OSI/AF).
