DUSHANBE, February 23, Asia-Plus – Specialists from the UNDP Country Office in Tajikistan have expressed concern about rates of new HIV-infection in the region, a statement released by UNDP Dushanbe Office on February 22 says.
Taking into consideration factors contributing to spread of the disease, experts have estimated that the number of HIV-infected people in the country may rise from an estimated 4,000 cases in 2004 to 10,000 by end 2006. At this rate the number of HIV infected cases may double every thirteen months.
In the meantime, according to official figures, 506 HIV-infected have to date been officially registered in the republic. Mansur Dodarbekov, an official with the HIV/AIDS-Prevention Center of Tajikistan, told Asia-Plus this today morning. According to him, the number of HIV-infected individuals in Dushanbe is 171 people.
The UNDP statement says HIV/AIDS in Tajikistan is driven largely by the strong increase of intravenous drug users, but returning migrant workers as well as prostitution, are also spreading the infection into the population at large.
Approximately 80% of reported cases are young people less than 30 years old. Many young people lack the information and means necessary to protect themselves from HIV infection, including access to condoms and other health care services such as voluntary counseling and testing. Clearly, the time to address this problem among youth in Tajikistan is now, if Tajikistan is to prevent the potential catastrophic impact of an epidemic.
The National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan places a priority on prevention and awareness. The Plan aims to set up youth awareness campaigns as well as harm reduction programmes for drug users. Specific programmes have been designed for migrant labourers. Additional programmes have been set up for prisoners and other vulnerable groups.
It is to be noted that Tajikistan was the first country in the CIS that successfully mobilized large-scale resources to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic. A grant was provided by the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for more than US $10 million ? for the period 2003 to 2010, delivered through the UN’s Development Program.
In the last couple of years, funding for HIV/AIDS prevention by the international donor community has sharply increased. Currently, more than US $20m has been committed to the fight against HIV/AIDS by the international donor community in Central Asia and Tajikistan.
In the view of the Donor Principals, despite much good work done and more resources becoming available, it is necessary to scale up the national HIV/AIDS response, especially to the rural communities and develop sectoral strategies that facilitate the implementation of the national strategic plan in rural areas, to strengthen national coordination and harmonize existing systems among the different partners, to accelerate the introduction of school HIV/AIDS education programs, to develop a national communication strategy on HIV/AIDS, including better informing Tajik youth through the mass media on HIV/AIDS, the Government”s efforts in tackling this problem, and how to prevent it, as well as to prevent stigmatization and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS and promote their human rights and participation in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
