BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN, October 6-7, 2009 – Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic with support of Central Asian AIDS Control Project funded by the World Bank and U.K. Department for International Development, UNAIDS, UNODC in Central Asia and “The Kyrgyz Republic Government support in response to HIV” UNDP Program conducted the 4th Inter-Parliament conference of Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan on HIV and AIDS: legislative ensuring of measures in response to HIV-infection and regional cooperation priorities.

 

Currently, Central Asia is experiencing HIV-infection epidemic characterized with the most rapid speed of the infection spread worldwide. For the last four years the region has experienced a significant increase of HIV prevalence level. In accordance to the statistics based on the registration of the identified cases, by January 1, 2009 cumulative number of the registered HIV-infected people in the region was 31750. In CAR among cumulatively registered HIV-infection cases 62.8% is with regular injected drug users (IDU), of them 76.6% are males, over 65% - unemployed and out-of-work individuals due to some reasons, 38.8% - individuals aged 15-29. Recognition of the strategic significance of HIV prevalence control strengthening has led to increase of HIV/AIDS Programs financing as well as strengthening of the intersectoral and intergovernmental cooperation with the aim of effective response to the epidemic.

The idea of conducting the conference appeared after International Parliament conference on “HIV/AIDS in Eurasian countries and the role of “Group of Eight” in fighting the epidemic” held in the Government House, Moscow, Russian Federation June 8, 2006. In September 2006 the 1st Inter-Parliament conference on “HIV epidemic in Central Asian and East European countries – legislative ensuring of measures in response to HIV prevalence and regional cooperation priorities” was conducted in Bishkek at the initiative of Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic. The evidence of a serious concern to HIV and AIDS problem by the executive power representatives was a decision to form Inter-Parliament working group on HIV issues with the aim of further development and harmonization of the legislation related to response to HIV-infection epidemic in the region. Central Asian Inter-Parliament working group consisted of 2 parliamentarians from each country – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as Azerbaijan. The 2nd and 3rd Inter-Parliament conferences were conducted in Astana and Dushanbe in 2007 and 2008. It should be noted that the measures allowed discussing and then improving the legislation of Central Asian countries related to response to HIV-infection epidemic.

The main goals of the Inter-Parliament conference in Kyrgyzstan were:

The conference was chaired by Ch. Baekova, Vice Speaker of Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic. Parliamentarians and Government members of four Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan) as well as parliamentarians from Azerbaijan, representatives of the international organizations operating in the area of response to HIV-infection participated in the conference.

During the conference participants familiarized with the practical implementation of harm reduction programs. In particular, visits were organized to sterile injection tools delivery units and substitute therapy programs for drug addicts in health and penitentiary system organizations, non-government organizations work experience on drug addicts social support programs implementation including individuals released from prisons was demonstrated.

Based on the results of the conference Resolution was adopted that denotes the next steps on strengthening and developing agreements achieved during the conference. The participants hope that the conference will emphasize a strategic significance of HIV spread control strengthening in the region and contribute to strengthening of the intersectoral and intergovernmental cooperation aiming to respond the epidemic effectively.