On June 15-17, 2010 a regional seminar on migration and HIV issue was carried out for the staff of the governmental services of the Central Asian region. The seminar was conducted within the activities of the Regional Training Center on Migration and HIV issues under the Regional Project of IOM “HIV prevention among labor migrants in Central Asian countries” funded by the Central Asia AIDS Control Project (CAAP). The goal of the seminar was to improve the government agencies employees’ understanding of correlation between migration and HIV, vulnerability of migrants to HIV infection and their role in prevention among labor migrants, as well as their interaction with NGOs in this area. The seminar was attended by 15 representatives of the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan – Chief and Head Specialists of the Ministries of Labor, Transport and Communications, staff of migration services.

On June 1-2, 2010 at the initiative of Milli Mejlis of Azerbaijan Republic the 5th Interparliamentary conference of Central Asia countries and Azerbaijan on HIV and AIDS took place in Baku, Azerbaijan. The conference was dedicated to the exchange of experience on improvement of HIV and AIDS-related legislation during the past year. Discussions were directed on the results of the agreements achieved in the framework of 4th Interparliamentary conference on elimination of legislative barriers in implementing harm reduction programs in Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan, which took place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in 2009.

A two-day regional conference on results of implementation of HIV epidemiological surveillance in the countries of Central Asia with participation of over 100 specialists took place on May 18-19, in Almaty, Kazakhstan. This event was organized at the initiative of the Ministry of Health of Republic of Kazakhstan with the technical support from the Central Asia AIDS Control Project and Global Fund’s HIV Prevention Project in Kazakhstan.

Regional seminar for religious leaders of the Central Asia countries took place in Almaty on April 27-29, 2010. The overall objective of this event was directed on strengthening of leadership skills of religious leaders and application of the obtained knowledge on HIV prevention in their further engagement with the population subsequently. The regional seminar was attended by 18 participants, mainly the imam-khatib, mudarrises (teachers) of Islamic educational institutions of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and also representatives of Central Administrative Management on Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Culture of Republic of Tajikistan. Training participants have exchanged experience of carrying out khutbah (sermon) in the jamaat (communities) and mudarrises (studies in educational institutions), and also interpretation of Islam.

III Central Asia Forum on infectious diseases and drug use in prisons took place on April 21-23, 2010 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The forum has been carried under the guidance of the Ministry of Justice of Republic of Tajikistan with the support of the international partners: AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW), Central Asia AIDS Control Project (СААР), CARHAP, GRM-International, OSI Tajikistan. The event was attended by about 150 representatives of Ministries of Justice and Ministries of Health, nongovernmental organizations of three Central Asia countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan), and the international partners.

Another scheduled training took place in Tashkent in the framework of regional project “HIV prevention among labor migrants in the Central Asia countries”, financed by the Central Asia AIDS Project. The training was carried out in two stages within the period from April 19th to 25th, and involved 56 participants in total. The participants of this training course were train conductors and chiefs of trains of the Uzbek railway passenger service. The main objective of this event was to increase legal and sanitary literacy of railway workers, train them with communication skills needed for dissemination of the useful information among their colleagues, train passengers and population at large. In the course of practical and theoretical sessions the participants have got acquainted with migration legislation of Central Asia countries and Russia, learnt about the latest situation on HIV and AIDS in the country, region and in the world. The important issues covered during the training were HIV transmission and prevention, problems related to stigma and discrimination, potential risks of migration.

On March 3, 2010 Southern Kazakhstan Oblast AIDS Prevention and Control Center with support of the Central Asian AIDS Control Project organized round table in the conference hall of “Ordabasy” hotel (Shymkent) on presentation of the project “HIV infection prevention among migrants” with partners on project implementation and other related organizations and NGOs working in the oblast.

In line with the project on “Establishment of the Resource Center in Jalalabad oblast on HIV/AIDS and STD prevention among migrants (migrants, families of migrants, women),” supported by the Central Asia AIDS Control Project within fourth grant round of Regional AIDS Fund, round table on the subject of “Cooperation of government organizations and NGOs for HIV/AIDS and STD prevention among migrants in Jalalabad oblast” took place on March 1, 2010 in Jalalabad. The event was attended by 30 participants: representatives of NGOs, law-enforcement agencies, mass media, representatives of the government organizations – City Mayor’s office, oblast state administration, Suzak, Nooken and Bazar-Kurgan rayon administration, education and health departments.

Results of implementation of current State Program on HIV/AIDS have been discussed during the round table in Bishkek on February 26. The evaluation of the Program was requested by the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic and was carried out by “Curatio International Consulting” company. The event was attended by all concerned partners: parliamentarians, representatives of government structures and civil society, as well as representatives of the international organizations. The round table was chaired by the Deputy Minister of Health KR, Chief State Sanitary Doctor, Addikarimov S.T.

On February 19, 2010 press conference took place in news agency “Aki-Press” on launching of the project “Development of HIV infection prevention programs among migrants and their family members in northern regions of the Kyrgyz Republic.” The event was attended by the representatives of government organizations, NGOs and donors.