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Education and Empowering Vulnerable PopulationsAdvocacy for scaling-up coverage of vulnerable groups by comprehensive HIV prevention services. Based on UNAIDS and WHO recommendations on necessity of achievement of high coverage (60% and higher) of the vulnerable groups by preventive programs for halting further spread of the virus in these groups, the CAPACITY Project developed draft of technical recommendations “Universal Access to HIV Prevention in Central Asia: A Technical Paper on Reaching High Coverage among Vulnerable Populations” (also known as 60 Plus Strategy). Owing to CAPACITY Project efforts and partners’ support the 60 Plus concept was included into the draft National Strategic Plan on combating HIV epidemics in RT and in the approved GF Round 6 grant. Development of prevention models. Within the 60 Plus Strategy the CAPACITY Project Consultant developed prevention models aimed at minimum 60% coverage of vulnerable population – injecting drug users (IDU) and sex workers (SW) by essential package of HIV prevention services in limited geographic areas with the purpose of considerable change in main behavioral and biological indicators. In coordination with Republican and Oblast AIDS centers Khujand-city, Qayraqqum and Chkalovsk towns were selected as a model area on prevention activities among SW, while Kurgan-Tube city was identified as a model area for prevention among IDUs. The projects are the part of the Regional project proposal that won regional grants competition of the Central Asian AIDS control Project (CAAP). Implementation of the projects will start in the first part of 2007. Civil society mobilization. The civil society mobilization (CSM) strategy was developed by the CAPACITY Project to build organizational, institutional, and programmatic capacity among NGOs and civil society, in order to mobilize a broad geographic scale-up of successful models of preventive services among vulnerable populations, particularly IDUs and SWs. Activities implemented within CSM strategy include the following:
As a result more than 50 NGOs and oblast level governmental institutions developed project proposals on HIV prevention among vulnerable population groups that will be submitted to the donors’ grant competitions. Also oblast-level multi-sector TWGs on coordination of CSM activities are operational. Behavior change communications and condom social marketing (distribution and provision of access to the high quality inexpensive condoms) for vulnerable populations. The component is implemented by non-profit organization PSI - one of the implementing partners of the CAPACITY Project. The main goal of the component is to establish new social model of the healthy behavior for risk groups through local youth prevention activities with emphasize on drug us prevention, promotion of faithfulness, abstinence, safe sex and increased accessibility of condoms. The Project also conducts educational campaigns among high-risk groups, especially IDUs and SWs, on dangers of injection drug use, sharing needles (syringe) and sex without condom use. 
Totally 554 557 condoms were distributed through commercial distributors, wholesalers, pharmacists and NGOs from October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006. With PSI’s efforts under the CAPACITY Project the following representatives of vulnerable population were covered by HIV prevention activities during the reporting period:
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BulletinPartnerswww.rcaids.kz www.ncc.tj www.afew.org www.caap.info www.cdc.gov www.ddrprogram.org www.theglobalfund.org www.projecthope.org www.soros.org www.undp.org www.unicef.org www.unodc.org www.usaid.gov www.euro.who.int www.zplus.kz |
© 2010 Capacity Project
