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World AIDS Day Commemorated In Armenia

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  • World AIDS Day Commemorated In Armenia

    WORLD AIDS DAY COMMEMORATED IN ARMENIA

    armradio.am
    01.12.2009 11:45

    The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Armenia office
    in partnership with the Government of Armenia commemorates the World
    AIDS Day under the theme "Universal Access and Human Rights".

    That means countering any form of HIV-related stigma and
    discrimination. It means ensuring access to HIV information and
    services for those most in need. It means removing punitive laws
    that prevent IDUs, SW, MSM and other marginalized population to
    access HIV prevention services, eliminating laws that discriminate
    and criminalize based on HIV status. It means addressing violence
    against women and girls.

    Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS said "On this WAD we
    are filled with both hope and concern. Hope because significant
    progress has been made towards universal access. New HIVinfections
    have dropped. Fewer children are born with HIV. And more than 4
    million people are on treatment. Concern because 28 years into the
    epidemic the virus continues to make inroads into new populations;
    stigma and discrimination continue to undermine efforts to turn back
    the epidemic."

    "I am pleased that under the leadership of Armenian Government and
    Armenian Civil Society and with joint efforts and support from many
    other partners and UN organizations in Armenia, Armenia has managed to
    make a real progress in keeping the numerous Government commitments
    towards achieving the targets set in 2001 UNGASS declaration
    of Commitment, 2006 Universal Access General Assembly Political
    Declaration and MDG, namely:

    External resources in support of National AIDS response were mobilized
    from the GFATM at the amount of around 19 million euro for the period
    2009-2015

    AIDS Law was amended and endorsed in 2009 eliminating mandatory testing
    (with exception of blood and organ donors)

    Methadone therapy has been registered in the country and a center
    for provision of methadone substitution treatment started operating
    at the national Narcological centre in October 2009

    Free-of-charge HIV treatment is provided to all people in need. Six
    anti-retroviral drugs are included into the list of essential drugs
    to be freely available to persons affected by the disease.

    The coverage of harm reduction interventions for IDUs is maintained at
    60%, the coverage of SWs by HIV prevention interventions has increased
    from 25.1% in 2006 to 57% in 2008.

    All HIV infected pregnant women receive a complete course of ARV
    prophylaxis

    HIV/TB co infection is now in focus: around 50% of TB patients are
    referred for HIV testing

    Although all these achievements we still have clear challenges in
    front of us:

    The National HIV Program implementation dependence on the external
    funding puts at risk sustainable implementation of HIV prevention
    and treatment activities, since ART is mainly covered by the Global
    Fund resources

    Stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV, affected
    people, most at-risk populations remain the main constraint to an
    effective response to the epidemic

    Success in AIDS programs provides a powerful mechanism for
    strengthening health systems and promoting human rights and
    development programmes. We must continue doing what works, but we
    must also do more with less resource. We must improve cost efficiency
    of applied HIV interventions and programs in order to achieve MDG"
    said Manoela Grozdanova, UNAIDS Country Coordinator for Armenia,
    Azerbaijan, Georgia.
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