Azerbaijan delegation on Second Europe and Central Asia AIDS Conference

Second Europe and Central Asia AIDS Conference on “Accelerating Access to HIV Prevention, Treatment and Care for all”
Moscow, 03-5 May, 2008

Conference last 3 days. On opening session Federal Officials welcomed participants and informed that 2000 delegates from East Europe and Central Asia, USA, Great Britain, Germany, Serbia, Albania have been invited for participation on this conference. Participants were representing official structures, non governmental organizations and civil societies from respective countries.
Deputy of the Parliament from the fraction “United Russia” welcomed participants on behalf of Russian Government and highlighted the role of international collaboration toward HIV/AIDS epidemic and underlined the importance of preventatives measures in order to achieve effective result in this direction. Representatives from other civil and nongovernmental organizations mentioned on increasing role of nongovemental, including youth and women organizations in this regard. Speakers also widely discussed the topics on ARV Therapy and universal access. Speakers informed that Russia contributed in GF for implementing of AIDS, Malaria and TB projects in Russia. Russian’s practice can be considered and estimated as best practice for other countries. It has been also reported projects on preventatives measures among sex workers, IDUs, prisoners, youth and other vulnerable groups of populations.

Conference has been continued in parallel satellite sessions devoted to different topics and subjects. Legislation issues, conducted by UNODC project RAC I29 has been presented in one of that session. Legislations results have been presented by Regional Coordinator and International Consultant. Then national experts on legislation from participated countries imparted to participants about specific on legislation analyze process conducted in their countries.
Several sessions devoted to Stigma and Discrimination, changes in the HIV Epidemic among Groups at Risk, Epediomolgical Aspects of Circulation of HIV infections Among IDUs has been attended with special interest.
On the closing ceremony Health official said that in last two years it has been carried out unprecedented projects and programs on combating with HIV and mentioned that it has been allocated 30 billions rubles for AIDS Projects in Russia and this work will be continued in future. Youth organizations appealed to conference’s participants to consolidate all efforts in order to ensure universal access to the AIDS treatment and the preventive maintenance HIV among all groups of young people, they expressed the readiness to participate in planning, implementation these programmes jointly with government and nongoverment organizations. Academic Pocrovsky mentioned that preparation of HIV vaccine is only initiated; therefore more priorities and attention should be given to preventative measures. In the end all participants have been thanked for active and fruitful participation.
Azerbaijan delegation has been represented by Arzu Guliyeva- UNODC National Project Officer, Kamala Amirxanova- Prosecutor of Azerbaijan Republic, Hagigat Gadyrova-Director of Republican AIDS Center, Javahir Suleymanova-WHO National Project Officer and NGOs representatives. National AIDS response (leaflets, brochures, projects) has been widely exposed on conference exhibitions and distributed among conference participants.