2009-06-02
Regional. CAPACITY conducted a regional all staff meeting in Almaty.
On May 28–29 CAPACITY organized an all staff meeting with all 5 countries of Central Asia to discuss preliminary results of the 5-year project on AIDS control in vulnerable populations and to plan the upcoming regional close-out meeting scheduled for early September, 2009. Representatives from all 5 country offices and JSI headquarters participated at the meeting. Each country presented the work that has been done by another country team during the 5 year period. Also, country teams participated and enjoyed a team building training. As a result of the meeting, a certificate of appreciation was awarded to each employee to recognize his/her contribution into the work that CAPACITY has been doing during 5 years. more »

2009-06-02
Kazakhstan. Improving resourse use through integration of HIV/AIDS services.
On 29 April, 2009 the CAPACITY Project in cooperation with Project HOPE, the City TB Dispensary and the City AIDS Center conducted a final round table meeting on the pilot project aimed at strengthening interaction between AIDS and TB services for the management of patients living in Almaty with dual infections of TB and HIV. The pilot project was launched in January 2008 and finished on 1 May, 2009. Representatives of the Republican organizations, national and international partners, as well as USAID participated in this meeting. Representatives of the City TB and AIDS services presented the results of the pilot project reflecting issues regarding timely HIV diagnosis in TB facilities and TB diagnosis in AIDS facilities, management of patients with dual infections, issues of TB prevention among HIV-infected patients and prophylaxis of opportunistic infections with cotrimaxozole among patients with TB/HIV. Specialists, who participated in the pilot project implementation noted significant improvement in the patient referral system. During the meeting information materials developed during the pilot project for specialists of both services and for co-infected patients were presented. All materials of the project, including IEC materials, submitted to the City and Republican services, were also presented to all interested organizations and partners for future use. more »

2009-06-02
Kazakhstan. The AIDS Memorial Day in Almaty.
On 17 May 2009 the CAPACITY Project in cooperation with many other international organizations provided technical support to the Kazakhstan Union of PLHIV to conduct a city event dedicated to International AIDS Memorial Day which is traditionally held annually on the third Sunday of May. The event included a concert, the awarding of journalists for the best articles on the topic of HIV-infection, and the provision of rapid HIV testing arranged by the City AIDS Center. more »

2009-06-02
Kyrgyzstan. Improving the qulaity of HIV/AIDS services.
On May 7–8, 2009 a seminar on VCT for representatives of government medical-prevention organizations and NGOs took place in the Osh and Karasuu cities of Osh Oblast. The seminar was organized by CAPACITY and the CAAP-funded TUMAR Project. This seminar was conducted as an addition to the first training on VCT, which took place in August 2008 within the framework of the VCT model implementation. It aimed at improving the practical knowledge and skills obtained in the previous training of counselors on psychosocial counseling,, and reviewing the shortcomings that occurred during the VCT model implementation. The seminar brought together 28 specialists from pilot medical institutions and NGOs "Podruga” and "Parents against drugs, ” which have been implementing HIV prevention activities in Osh Oblast within the TUMAR project. more »

2009-06-02
Tajikistan. The World Memorial Day in Dushanbe.
CAPACITY jointly with other donors and international organizations provided financial assistance for the organization of the International AIDS Memorial Day in Dushanbe. The event was held on May 17, 2009 organized by the Public Organization "Guli Surkh”. The event was carried out in the concert-hall of «Vefa Center. » More than 100 people attended, including representatives of International and Public organizations, students and school children. Pictures about HIV/AIDS made by school children from city schools were presented at the event. The best pictures (first three places) were awarded with prizes. Also short edutainment plays on Stigma and Discrimination towards PLHIV were performed at the event. more »

2009-06-02
Turkmenistan. Sharing experience between partners.
The CAPACITY Turkmenistan team along with colleagues from international organizations visited Kurgan Tube with the aim of sharing the experience of the NGO "Fidokor” gained during the time of implementation of the TUMAR project since October 2007. During the visit, the guests from Turkmenistan learned how their colleagues in Kurgan Tube run the Drop-in-Center for drug users, how they conduct outreach work and carry out other activities within the TUMAR project. The experience learned in Tajikistan will help to carry out prevention activities in Turkmenistan. more »

2009-04-30
Regional. Educating and empowering vulnerable populations.
On April 13–16 2009, 4-day training for outreach workers was organized in Almaty for those working within the TUMAR project. 30 outreach workers, coming from all 7 TUMAR sites of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, participated in the training. Participants obtained knowledge and skills necessary for conducting effective outreach work and received newly developed guidelines for outreach workers. The guidelines will be used by outreach workers who work with injecting drug users and sex workers for conducting effective educational mini-sessions. The guidelines are available for other projects that conduct outreach work among these vulnerable populations. more »

2009-04-30
Regional. Supporting the Central Asia Network of PLHIV to improve the quality of HIV and AIDS services.
CAPACITY is supporting the development of a Central Asia, regional network of PLHIV, which will, among other things, advocate for and promote improved quality of HIV and AIDS services. A CAPACITY consultant is leading a needs assessment among PLHIV in Central Asia. The consultant is training representatives from AIDS Service Organizations in each of four Central Asian countries on the necessary skills for conducting the assessment. The trainings are followed by the assessment in multiple sites in each country. It is expected that the assessment will result in a series of recommendations of activities for the regional PLHIV network to work toward improving service quality. more »

2009-04-30
Kazakhstan. Deputy Chief of the Mission, US Embassy of Kazakhstan, visited the Almaty AIDS center.
The Deputy Chief of the Mission of the US embassy in Kazakhstan, Mr. Kevin C. Milas, accompanied by representatives of USAID visited the Almaty AIDS Center. During the visit Mr. Milas had a meeting with the Center’s Head Doctor and the staff during which Mr. Milas was briefed about the work of the Center’s different departments. Mr. Milas also has been updated about the implementation and results of the pilot project on interaction of AIDS and TB services in Almaty. Mr. Kevin C.Milas thanked the staff for their dedication and contribution to the work devoted to the fight against the HIV epidemics in Kazakhstan. more »

2009-04-30
Kazakhstan. Improving the quality of counceling for VCT services.
April 21–24, 2009 a training for specialists from different Almaty medical institutions on counseling before and after HIV testing was conducted at the Almaty AIDS center. The training was organized jointly by CAPACITY, the International NGO "AIDS Foundation East West” and the HIV department of Almaty State Institute of Doctor’s Postdiploma Education with the support of the Almaty City Health Department. The main aim of the training was to give necessary theoretical knowledge on HIV testing and counseling for those specialists rendering HIV/AIDS services in Almaty and to train them on practical skills necessary for conducting counseling before and after HIV testing. more »