DUSHANBE, August 19, 2008, Asia-Plus — A three-day seminar, formally titled “Media Coverage of HIV/AIDS in Tajikistan,” for journalists will be held in Dushanbe on August 20-22.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Nasrullo Ramazonov, media and public relations coordinator, UNAIDS Tajikistan, said that the main objective of the seminar is to train local journalists in professional coverage of the HIV/AIDS problems. According to him, the seminar participants include 20 representatives of electronic and print media from Dushanbe, districts subordinate to center (RRPs) and the Khatlon province.
Five trainers from Kazakhstan and Tajikistan will instruct the seminar participants in correct and unbiased coverage of HIV/AIDS as well as brief them on ways of transmission and prevention of the infection, as well as legal and ethical norms of working out journalistic materials about HIV/AIDS, Ramazonov said.
According to him, the seminar participants will also visit the Republican AIDS Center and get acquainted with activities of public and international organizations working on addressing these problems.
UNAIDS intends to conduct similar seminar for journalists in the Sughd province in September, Ramazonov said.
According to official data provided by the Ministry of Health (MoH), as of July 1 2008, 1,231 HIV sufferers have been reported in Tajikistan.
