DUSHANBE, July 5, Asia-Plus – The results of epidemiological survey on spread of HIV/AIDS in Tajikistan carried out in Dushanbe and Khujand have shown that 15.8 percent of drug-depended people suffer from HIV/AIDS, and among commercial sex workers this figure amounts to 1.7 percent, Mr. William Paton, UN resident Coordinator in Tajikistan announced at a Partnership Forum on HIV/AIDS that opened in Dushanbe on July 5.
The Partnership Forum on HIV/AIDS is a forum for discussion, information sharing, consensus building, joint planning, sharing of experiences and practices and mutual support among all constituencies, including regional representatives. It is held twice a year.
According to Mr. Paton, the rate of HIV-infection among pregnant women in the republic also evokes concern. One in each 20 pregnant women in
Dushanbe
and Khujand is HIV-infected, which makes 0.5 percent, according to Mr. Paton. The survey results shows that a number of HIV-infected people among examined labor migrants also evokes concern. Examination of a certain contingent of labor migrants has shown that 2.2 percent of those examined is HIV-infected.
According to him, since 2002, when
Tajikistan
adopted the strategic plan on HIV/ADIS, a certain success has been to be observed in the republic in prophylactic work and rendering medical services to the vulnerable sections of the population. “However, it is necessary to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS and it is necessary to do this constantly,” the UN Resident Coordinator stressed.
At the conclusion, Mr. Paton noted that
Tajikistan
had a good chance to prevent further spread of AIDS.
In the meantime, Dr. Nafis Sadik, UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, who was an honored guest at the Partnership Forum, telling the conference presented the results of the 2006 High Level meeting on AIDS (May 31-June 2, 2006) and the role of the government, international community and civil society organizations in scaling up efforts. Telling the forum, Ms. Sadik noted that although numbers of HIV-individuals in
Tajikistan
were relatively low there were many risk factors and as a result of that the situation might come out of control.
“But due to political adherence of the government as well as two grants awarded to Tajikistan by the Global Fund there is a chance to stop this disease,” Dr. Sadik said. At the conclusion, the UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in
Asia
and the Pacific noted that efforts should be focused on educating not only those most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS but the country’s population as a whole.
