28 June, 2007 - A seminar “The Role and Contribution of Non-Medical Bodies to HIV Prevention” which was conducted yesterday in Minsk gathered about 30 representatives of Belarusian government agencies (ministries of labour and social protection, economy, sports and tourism, industry, justice, housing and communal cervices, trade, education, defense, etc.) as well United Nations Development Programme, Belarus TV and Radio Company, and Belarusian Railways.

It was the first time when such a representative community of government agencies and bodies attended the seminar on HIV prevention held under the project “Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS in the Republic of Belarus”. The project is being implemented by UNDP in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Belarus with funding by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The seminar participants received updated information about the current situation on HIV and AIDS, UNDP project activities and the development of the informational campaign “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise”. The campaign to be carried until 2010 is aimed at raising the population awareness about AIDS and promoting a healthy lifestyle and socially responsible behaviour as ways to protect from HIV.

The activity of the HIV/AIDS of the Resource Center operating at the National Center of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health was presented during the seminar. The Resource Center provides free information materials, conference hall services and access to the youth interactive web-site www.aids.by. Such Centers are open in Minsk, Vitebsk, Gomel and Mogilev.

The experts of the Republican Center of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health noted in particular that when talking about HIV prevention, we touch upon the problems of drug addiction and sexually transmitted infections. By preventing HIV spread we are also solving the demographic and social employment problems. That is why it is so important to work in partnership with government agencies in this sphere.

In their turn, representatives of state governance bodies shared their plans. Educational workshops, non-traditional PR-actions and video projects were listed among possible ways to prevent HIV and work with the youth as a target group. Implementation of these plans requires tight cooperation with UNDP, in particular providing organizational and financial support from the project “Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS in the Republic of Belarus”. All participants admitted that prevention activities should be catching, memorable and popular among the population, especially young people.

The work on HIV prevention organized in the country for many years has brought results. You can hardly find anybody in Belarus today who has not heard the word “AIDS”. According to research data, young people are aware about HIV transmission ways and the basic protection means. Yet the knowledge is not a guarantee of safe behaviour. The seminar participants have come to a conclusion that it is not enough just to hand out condoms and disseminate information about HIV protection means. It is important to put efforts to bring a health lifestyle and socially responsible behaviour into fashion, for the nation’s physical and spiritual health is inseparable.

As of today, 8,206 HIV and 727 AIDS cases are officially registered in Belarus. For quite a long time, intravenous drug use has been the most widespread way of HIV transmission. Yet, nowadays experts call sexually transmitted HIV as the most prevailing.

For further information please refer to Public Information Assistant of the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment project, Maria Malinovskaya, at 270-73-51, or UNDP Communications Associate, Vladislav Khilkevich, at 227-38-17, e–mail: .

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