UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia Supports the World HIV Day Conference in Uzbekistan

According to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan, HIV is prevailed more than 41 000 people living with HIV in the country. According to the sentinel surveillance data, HIV prevails among injecting drug users (5.1%).

On 27 November 2019, UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia (ROCA) supported the "Communities matter" press-conference dedicated to the World AIDS Day which is marked annually on 1 December and organized jointly with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the UNAIDS. The conference was attended by 60 people, including international partners, national stakeholders, consultants, and experts.

Dr. Bakhrom Almatov, Deputy Minister of Health, Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in his address to the participants, pointed out:" The strong advocacy role played by communities is needed more than ever to ensure that AIDS remains on the political agenda, that human rights are respected, and that decision-makers and implementers are held accountable."

The UNAIDS Regional Director for Eastern Europe & Central Asia - Mr. Vinay Saldana attended the press conference and announced the reopening of the UNAIDS office in Uzbekistan. In his speech, Vinay Saldana emphasized the need for the targeted approaches and the need to tailor the response to the key affected population communities.

UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia works closely with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and with the Republican AIDS Center in improving the capacity and linkages on HIV prevention care and treatment services, and to achieve better health-related outcomes for the key population.   Besides, UNODC Regional Office for Central Asia puts efforts to strengthen the collaboration with the local communities and NGO's on the promotion of HIV prevention services for those who are in need.

World AIDS Day offers an important platform to highlight the role of communities, to increase the ability of civil society to contribute to HIV prevention, early detection, and timely response.  The UNODC ROCA supports the involvement of communities and civil society organizations into HIV prevention and treatment, especially among people who use drugs, to ensure that the response remains relevant and grounded, keeping people at the centre and leaving no one behind.

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