in Kazakhstan

World AIDS DAY 2008

CAPACITY together with Almaty AIDS prevention Center organized a training on AIDS for healthy lifestyle teachers of private schools of Almaty city. The goal of this event was to train the teachers to conduct further training for schoolchildren and other teachers on issues related to AIDS, including ways of HIV transmission, prevention measures, diagnostics and other issues. At the beginning of the training the trainers checked the awareness level of the teachers, and those issues which raised most interest and happened to be difficult were highlighted during the presentation. The training participants also watched the movies devoted to WAD. The teachers received information and education materials for further use during their classes in own schools. It is anticipated that healthy lifestyle teachers will talk about HIV and AIDS for grades 7–11 students and teachers of Almaty schools during December.

On 7 December CAPACITY and UNAIDS supported the Kazakhstan PLH Union in conducting an event called "Laughter is a vaccine against AIDS” devoted to WAD. Five best teams of the so-called "Humor Contest Club” and pop-stars participated in the event. During this humoristic event CAPACITY also supported a photo exhibition aimed at development of a tolerant attitude towards people living with HIV. This event was attended by more than 3000 young people who also took part in the "Safety route” organized in the Republic Palace.

With the support of CAPACITY the South Kazakhstan Medical Academy organized and conducted the IX Shymkent City Student’s Forum in the World AIDS Day. The slogan of the forum was «The youth against AIDS and STI». The students of more then 10 universities and colleges participated at the forum. Among the other activities, the Action included distribution of the brochures and the condoms with regards to the project subject as well as presentation of the data on epidemiological situation on HIV/AIDS in the region with the participation of the representatives of the Oblast AIDS center. During the forum the heads of scientific research team of the Academy Ms. Gulmira Utepbergenova and Ms. Gulyaim Omarova together with the students presented and raised an interactive discussion on the results of the questionnaire "Design analysis among medical and non medical universities of the Shymkent city”. This questionnaire aimed at identifying the level of knowledge on HIV/AIDS among the youth of the South Kazakhstan Region. It was initiated in the frame of CAPACITY and South Kazakhstan Medical Academy collaboration.

Yelena Kudussova, the director of CAPACITY on Kazakhstan, made a presentation on Stigma and Discrimination in the frame of HIV/AIDS. The main goal of the presentation was to raise community awareness throughout the region about HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) issues, including the need for support for and understanding of people with HIV/AIDS, and the need for ongoing education and prevention initiatives.

Interactive part of the forum included quiz (questions-answers), sketches, competition on the best HIV/AIDS poster. At the end of the forum the winners received prizes. Guests included the media as well as representatives from various health institutions and government representatives.

According to data from the Republican AIDS Centre, of the more than 9083 people officially registered in Kazakhstan as living with HIV, 70% are in the age group 20 — 39. The worst affected regions are Karaganda, South Kazakhstan, Pavlodar and Kostanay, and Almaty city. Major factors driving the epidemic include unsafe practices and high-risk behavior among young injecting drug users and their sexual partners, who constitute a significantly high proportion of the HIV cases in Kazakhstan.

Bulletin

July, 2009
(407 KB)

Partners

www.rcaids.kz
Republican AIDS Center, Kazakhstan

www.ncc.tj
National Coordination Committee, Tajikistan

www.afew.org
AIDS Foundation East-West

www.caap.info
Central Asia AIDS Control Project

www.cdc.gov
Center for Disease Control and Prevention

www.ddrprogram.org
Drug Demand Reduction Project

www.theglobalfund.org
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberkulosis and Malaria

www.projecthope.org
Project HOPE/TB

www.soros.org
Soros Foundation

www.undp.org
UNDP

www.unicef.org
United Nations Children's Fund

www.unodc.org
United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime

www.usaid.gov
USAID

www.euro.who.int
World Health Organization

www.zplus.kz
ZdravPlus Project