Press releases
USAID-funded HIV/AIDS Project Reviews its Achievements in
On September 14, 2009, the U.S. Agency for International Development and its partners held a regional close-out conference for the USAID-funded 5-year HIV/AIDS program “CAPACITY” in Almaty. Representatives of the governmental, nongovernmental, and international organizations from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan participated in the conference that discussed the results of the USAID-funded 2004-2009 program “CAPACITY”. The program built local technical capacity to launch large-scale responses to HIV/AIDS and develop indigenous institutions and networks to manage comprehensive HIV/AIDS control programs. One of the key CAPACITY’s achievements is the strengthened local capability to organize and implement HIV/AIDS prevention activities throughout Central Asia, where experts report a significant rise in the number of HIV/AIDS cases driven by injecting drug use. The program helped develop and introduce national guidelines, monitoring and assessment plans, and data collection systems on HIV/AIDS. It helped improve coordination between nongovernmental sector and local communities and include HIV/AIDS prevention among the most vulnerable populations as one of the key components in the National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plans. CAPACITY trained staff of 318 AIDS-service organizations in the region. As a result, these organizations developed 39 comprehensive HIV prevention projects and leveraged over $1,8 million of funding for their activities. Over 300,000 youth have benefited from the work of 4 Youth Centers that CAPACITY opened in the region for HIV prevention among youth. Additionally, the project helped establish a regional network of the people living with HIV. Much of CAPACITY’s work was concentrated on the improvement of services to help those with HIV/AIDS. The program developed and introduced the models for integration of TB and HIV/AIDS services in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. 450 medical specialists were trained in management of dual HIV/TB infection, 191 managers of medical institutions improved their knowledge in TB/HIV coordination and monitoring, and 7,500 patients received services in pilot sites. TB/HIV management issues were included in graduate medical education. In Osh Oblast, Kyrgyzstan, the program developed and introduced an improved model on HIV counseling and testing that has already benefited more than 1,200 people. In Temirtau City, Kazakhstan, the project developed and introduced an antiretroviral therapy model for integration of HIV prevention and treatment into the primary health care system. Family doctors in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan enhanced their skills in informing the population on the modes of HIV-infection transmission and prevention, as well as reduction of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. Representatives of governmental, civil society, and international organizations from all five countries reviewed these and other achievements of CAPACITY and discussed how these achievement will be included in future activities on HIV prevention in the region. * * * USAID-funded CAPACITY Program was implemented by John Snow Institute. For additional information please contact: (007) 727 262-30-69/62/79 or visit our web site: www.capacityproject.info Please visit USAID web site on: http://centralasia.usaid.gov или по тел. 250-7612, вн. 6414.
USAID-funded HIV/AIDS Project Reviews its Achievements in