DUSHANBE, November 3, 2010, Asia-Plus – On October 29 this year the Government of Tajikistan has approved the third National HIV/AIDS Program for 2011-2015.
The Government of Tajikistan pays special attention to prophylaxis of HIV/AIDS and has already approved a series of official documents on this issue at the highest level, Azam Mirzoev, Deputy Health Minister and Chief Sanitary Physician of Tajikistan, told the AP.
“During independence Tajikistan has approved two national laws On prophylaxis of and fight against HIV/AIDS. The first law was passed in 1993 and the second was approved in 2005,” he explained.
According to him, in the course of implementation of the given law the Government has adopted a series of National Programs, including the program for 2010-2015, which is the third one.
“The overall goal of the program is to slow down current level of spread of HIV infection and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. First of all, we are planning to achieve this goal by providing the population with access to counter-HIV services,” he said.
Among these measures Mirzoev pointed out timely prophylaxis, awareness campaigns for population with the goal to increase awareness level, and access to ARV therapy.
Mirzoev added that these goals were included into the previous program which will be finalized by the end of this year. “The previous program was mainly focused on common principles – common coordination, monitoring and evaluation, availability. The final program will mainly focus on universal access of population and expansion of services provided by Tajik Ministry of Health and HIV Centers,” he stressed.
According to Murodali Ruziev, Director of the Republican HIV/AIDS Center, creation of all required conditions for HIV-infected people will be one of innovations in the National HIV/AIDS Program for 2011-2015.
“Such notions as stigma and discrimination will be more widely addressed in the new program. This will include implementation of multiple programs aimed at reduction of stigma and discrimination against HIV-infected people in our country,” Ruziev has said.
