Programme description

Title: HIV/AIDS and Preventing Addiction in Central Asia
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan
Lead executing agency: Ministries of health, social development, education and youth or their equivalents in the participating countries
Overall term: 2009 to 2018

Context

Together with Eastern Europe, the Central Asian countries are among the regions where HIV infection rates are increasing most quickly today. The epidemic is as yet restricted to specific risk groups, and there is still time to prevent it from spilling over to the general population. This makes it all the more important to carry out extensive and efficient prevention activities. The majority of those infected with HIV in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, almost all of them young people, are injecting drug users who have become infected by using contaminated syringes. Limited knowledge about the consequences of drug addiction and the routes of HIV infection poses an obstacle to effective prevention. Marginalised and high-risk groups are often not reached by information campaigns. There is not enough counselling or care for drug addicts, which increases the risk of infection for and by this group. Addiction prevention and HIV have not been sufficiently integrated into the service packages of national education, youth and health policy to date. Addiction and HIV/AIDS prevention messages do not address the target group appropriately and are not presented effectively enough to effect a change in behaviour. Possible ways of reaching young people through the training system and elsewhere are not being adequately exploited. High-risk behaviour conducive to HIV infection is thus widespread.

Objective

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviour relating to HIV/AIDS and drug prevention have improved, particularly among young people.

Approach

The project is carrying out activities in the youth, education and health sectors. It advises the relevant ministries on how to integrate HIV/AIDS and addiction prevention into their policies and programmes, and it is developing participatory and interactive awareness activities. The Ministry of Health receives support in performing its coordination role, and its staff are trained in modern communication methods. The project also involves institutional capacity building for non-governmental and community-based organisations to help them improve the standard of their youth work and other social work with vulnerable groups, including addicts.

By setting up resource centres in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the project ensures access to materials, instruments and concepts for HIV/AIDS prevention throughout the region. In addition, forums are created to share experience in the region and to step up cross-border collaboration. These measures make it easier for young people, particularly vulnerable groups, to find out about HIV and the risks of drug use, and to find help services. They can change high-risk behaviour and protect themselves more effectively against HIV infection, which will make an important contribution towards preventing the spread of the HIV pandemic in Central Asia and improving health in general.

Results achieved so far

Access is growing for young people to youth-friendly, participatory sensitisation materials covering sexuality, HIV infection and the risks of drug abuse. This is contributing to behavioural changes, which help to control the HIV epidemic in Central Asia and curb its effects. That means there is a chance to exploit the window of opportunity that still exists in the region before HIV/AIDS becomes widespread.