DUSHANBE, July 11, Asia-Plus — Central Asia AIDS Control Project (CAAP) has received 469 applications from state-run, international and local NGOs in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan for participating the second round of grant proposals under the project.
Mehri Sulaymonova, coordinator of the Project for Tajikistan, said the second round of grant proposals was launched on June 10 this year.
According to the Project Executive Director Professor Meymanaliyev, Executive Director, compared to 2006, number of applications has increased by 150. Taking into consideration the results of the first round, they increased an amount of small (national) grants from $20,000 to $50,000.
The first round of grant proposals under the project were launched in May of this year, using the CAAP website as well as advertising via word of mouth, radio, print and TV stations. Applicants’ proposals will be considered this autumn by the RPSC (for big grants) and technical evaluation committees (for small grants), after which winners will be announced in the late September-November period. Contracts will then be signed with the grantees soon thereafter.
Sulaymonova noted that the largest number of application had come from Tajikistan (177). Organizations in Uzbekistan have lodged 148 applications, Kyrgyzstan – 69 and Kazakhstan – 39.
Central Asia AIDS Control Project is the first Regional HIV/AIDS initiative financed by the International Development Association (IDA) and Department for International Development (DFID). The total amount of the Grant is 27 million Dollars.
According to the agreement signed between IDA and the Central Asia Cooperation Organization (CACO) on May 12, 2005 it was declared that CACO is the main Recipient of the Grant. As discussed and agreed at the CACO Heads of State Council Meeting held in St. Petersburg, Russia, on October 6, 2005, CACO became a part of the Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC). Upon completion of the legal procedures EAEC became the recipient of the grant in 2007.
The Project is implemented in four Central Asia countries: the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The development objective the Project, which is expected to be completed by June 30, 2010, is to contribute to the Control of the Spread of HIV in Central Asia region through the strengthening of regional and national capacity and cooperation between the Public Sector, NGOs and Private Sector. Its targets are to establish a sustainable financial mechanism in Central Asia the Regional and National AIDS Funds for financing the HIV/AIDS prevention & control activities in the region during and after the lifetime of the project and to contribute to better regional cooperation in Central Asia and effective inter-sectoral collaboration between the public, non-governmental and private sectors on HIV/AIDS control.
