Central Asia AIDS Control Project (CAAP) with the aime to keep abreast National and Regional Technical Evaluation Committees members with the Regional AIDS Fund (RAF) strategies and proposal evaluation criteria and procedures conducted the regional workshop in Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyz Republic on August 4-5, 2008. It gathered 37 representatives of the regional and national technical evaluation committees from all the Project-member countries: Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The workshop “HIV & AIDS prevention and treatment: Legislative aspects” was conducted by the CAAP in the framework of the component «Regional Coordination, Policy Development & Capacity building» Subcomponent 1. «Regional Coordination and Policy Development». This was the first and pilot event which was conducted in cooperation with the legislative body of Oliy Majlis (Parliament) Republic of Uzbekistan. The Objectives of seminar were familiarization of deputies of Oliy Majlis with the activities and results on HIV and AIDS prevention in Uzbekistan and further development of legislation against of global challenges.

Receiving and registration of Letters of Interest (LoI) sent by governmental, nongovernmental and international organizations as well as by private sector for the participation in the 3 RAF grant round completed on June 29. Total number of Los registered during three weeks of information campaign (June 8-29) is 435, what significantly exceeds number of letters registered during two previous rounds. (334 Los were received for the first RAF grant round in 2006 and 322 – for the second RAF grant round in 2007)>>>

Establisment issues of Central Asian regional training and information center on HIV prevention among youth were under discussion of the round table participants that was held in Almaty on June 19, 2008 by the initiative of Central Asia AIDS Control Project and under the support of Health Ministry of Kazakhstan. The round table participants, namely representatives of governmental, international and nongovernmental organizations of four Central Asian countries acquainted with the review of prevention programs realization for teenagers and young people in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan >>>

First regional HIV and AIDS training for trainers (ToT) from the number of CA journalists took place in Dushanbe on June 9-13, 2008. It was conducted by the international organization – Central Asia AIDS Control Project in cooperation with UNESCO. During 5 days 20 journalists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were acquiring training skills in the field of HIV and AIDS covering with the aim of further training conducting for the journalists of their countries >>>

The issues of establishment and development of CA information and training center on cooperation with Islamic clergy in HIV and AIDS problem have been discussing today at the round table meeting in Dushanbe. Spiritual Muslim leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan, representatives of Islamic institutions and governmental agencies and committees on religious affairs of three CA countries as well as UNDP representatives took part in the meeting. This round table was held by Central Asia AIDS Control Project (CAAP) together with the Health ministry of Republic of Tajikistan in the framework of program regional initiatives strengthening in the field of HIV and AIDS counteraction and religious representatives involving into the work on HIV prevention issues >>>

New HIV-infection cases statistics in Central Asia (CA) shows that along with “traditional” risk group such as injection drugs users and sex workers, labor migrants became one of the causes of new HIV-infection cases registration. How to provide labor migrants with the access to HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment programs? According to the round table participants (Dushanbe, May 21, 2008) Central Asian training and information center on HIV prevention among migrants is to solve this question.

Training on monitoring and evaluation of implementing events within Central Asia AIDS Control Project (CAAP) and Regional AIDS Fund (RAF) took place in Almaty (May 14-16, 2008). The task of this training was to familiarize national coordinators of Project-participant countries as well as national M&E specialists with “M&E Manual” and new changes made in the number of RAF directive documents such as “RAF Manual” and “Manual for grants recipients”; to reinforce practical skills in work with new reporting forms >>>

Project staff delegation headed by Executive Director, Prof. Tilek Meimanaliev, were in Moscow, Russian Federation, where they took part in the Second International conference on HIV/AIDS issues in Eastern Europe and Central Asia “Access improvement, prevention, care and treatment” (May 2-6, 2008). The Conference became one of the biggest regional events >>>

The meeting of experts on Central Asian Regional Harm Reduction Training Centre on strategic planning, formation, development and support issues took place on April 21-23 in Bishkek. Experts on harm reduction amongst drug addicts – the representatives of governmental and public organizations (NGOs) of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan took part in the meeting.