UNAIDS to open sub-regional office in Almaty

ASTANA. KAZINFORM A sub-regional office of the UNAIDS for the Central Asian countries will be opened in Almaty, UNAIDS Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Vinay Saldana told it at a meeting with Kazakhstan Minister of Healthcare Tamara Duisenova.

During the meeting the parties discussed the role of Kazakhstan as the country leading in prevention of HIV/AIDS in Central Asia and the forthcoming visit of the UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé to Kazakhstan. A sub-regional office of the UNAIDS is to be opened in Almaty in the course of this visit

"This decision was taken by our leadership. We have already launched preparatory work on opening the UNAIDS sub-regional office for Central Asia in Almaty,' V. Saldana said.

The parties discussed also the extension of availability of antiretroviral drugs to the population.

The Office of the UNAIDS Secretariat was opened in Kazakhstan in 1996. Since then the UNAIDS has been closely collaborating with the Government of the country on responding the outbreaks of HIV infection, development of appropriate strategies, such as national and sectoral HIV prevention programs, upgrading qualification of the specialists, implementation of innovative technologies, support of civil society organizations engaged in HIV/AIDS response and prevention.

Currently, the UN's AIDS fighting activity in Kazakhstan is based on the principles of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework on development of Kazakhstan for 2010-2015 and Salamatty Kazakhstan State Healthcare Development Program.