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  • World AIDS Day

    PRESS RELEASE

    UN Department of Public Information, Yerevan Office
    14 K.Liebknekht, Yerevan 375010, Armenia
    Contact: Armine Halajyan, UN DPI Information Assistant
    Tel.: (374 1) 560 212
    Fax/Tel.: (374 1) 561 406
    http://www.undpi.am

    WORLD AIDS DAY IN ARMENIA

    Although the name of Armenia has not been mentioned in the recently launched
    AIDS Epidemic Update, 2004 but Armenia falls in the geographical region
    where rapid growth of the epidemic has been registered. According to this
    Report, 2004 - the number of people living with HIV in Eastern Europe and
    Central Asia has risen dramatically in just a few years-reaching an
    estimated 1.4 million [920 000-2.1 million] at the end of 2004. This is an
    increase of more than nine-fold in less than ten years. And most of the
    epidemics in this region are still in their early stages-which means that
    timely, effective interventions can halt and reverse them.

    According to the UNDP report Reversing the Epidemic, Facts and Policy
    Options, 2004, only a few years ago it was hoped that Central and Eastern
    Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) would avoid the
    devastation of AIDS. For at least some countries in this region, these hopes
    are set to fail.

    HIV has a young face in Armenia. Almost 80 percent of people living with HIV
    are from 20-39 years old. In 2001 the first cases of HIV/AIDS among children
    were registered.

    As of October 2004 296 cases of HIV/AIDS were reported out of which 217
    people (77.5%) are male, 63 women (22.5%) and 4 children. However, according
    to the National HIV/AIDS Center despite these official figures, other
    HIV/AIDS assessments indicate that the real number of people living with
    HIV/AIDS in Armenia is closer to 2,800 - 3,000.

    Speaking about the mode of transmission - injecting drug use is on the rise
    in this part of the world, Armenia included. Before 1999, transmission in
    Armenia via sexual contacts exceeded transmission through injecting drug
    usage with a ratio of 41:22. However, from 1999 to mid 2004, the ratio
    became 58:113. Almost half of the cases of the reported infections now are
    of this mode and among young people (52.5%), all of whom are men, the
    majority of whom have probably been infected with HIV while temporarily
    living in the Russian Federation and the Ukraine. In addition, the majority
    of all the male HIV carriers (66.5%) are individuals who practice injecting
    drug usage, whereas the main transmission mode for women is heterosexual
    contacts (94.4%). And the overall registered cases transmitted by
    heterosexual transmission makes 38.9%.

    >From the beginning of the epidemic 42 cases of death from HIV/AIDS have been
    registered in Armenia, 6 of them in 2003 and 8 in 2004.

    The maximum number of HIV carriers was reported in Yerevan(the capital): 137
    cases, constitute almost half of all registered cases. Lori Marz (in the
    north of the country) is placed second, where the HIV prevalence rate is 8%.

    As a response to the situation in the country a Sentinel Epidemiological
    Surveillance and Rapid Assessment was conducted in 2000, HIV/AIDS
    Situational Analysis and Response Analysis were prepared, on the bases of
    which a National Programme on HIV/AIDS Prevention was approved by the
    Government in 2002.

    Besides, the Theme Group in Armenia comprising of the Heads of UN Agencies
    and a Government Representative supports the National Programme carrying out
    a variety of activities to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS among vulnerable
    groups and the general population such as advocate and support one
    coordination mechanism in the country, increase monitoring and evaluation
    capacities and strengthen the potential of the Government, Parliament and
    civil society to respond to the challenge of HIV/AIDS.

    The press conference devoted to the World AIDS Day was held on 1 December
    2004 in UN Conference Hall. World Health Organization has initiated to
    organize the World AIDS Day on 1 December 1988. On this day leaders of many
    countries all over the world delivered their speeches containing the special
    slogans on the radio and TV.

    Starting from that day, every year the whole world commemorates 1 December
    as a World AIDS Day to draw attention of the wide sectors of population to
    the problem of HIV/AIDS, to involve new organizations, groups and
    individuals in the implementation of preventive activities. This day is
    commemorated by different slogans every year marking crucial issues. The
    World AIDS Campaign slogan of this year is "Women, Girls and HIV/AIDS".

    The press conference was opened by Mr. V.Tkatchuk, UN DPI Representative. It
    was attended by Mr. Lars Olof Kallings, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary
    General on HIV/AIDS for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Mr. N.Davidyan,
    Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia, Ms. L.Grande, UN Resident
    Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. R.Ehmer, UNAIDS InterCountry
    coordinator for Southern Caucasus, Dr. S.Grigoryan, Director of the National
    Centre for AIDS Prevention.

    Mr. Lars Olof Kallings, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General on
    HIV/AIDS for Eastern Europe and the Central Asia has met with government
    officials and people living with HIV during his visit. Dr. S.Grigoryan,
    Director of the National Centre for AIDS Prevention presented
    epidemiological situation on HIV/AIDS in the world, region and Armenia.

    The National Programme on HIV/AIDS Prevention was approved by the Decision N
    316 of 1 April 2002 of the Government of the Republic of Armenia. Starting
    from the year of 2003 the National Programme on HIV/AIDS Prevention has been
    implemented with the support of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis
    and Malaria. Ms. R.Ehmer, UNAIDS InterCountry coordinator for Southern
    Caucasus mentioned that the Government had taken several measures to prevent
    the further spread of the epidemic which are supported also by UN Agencies
    and other international organizations.
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