"SUPPORT TO NATIONAL PROGRAM ON HIV/AIDS PREVENTION IN RA" GRANT WILL SUMMARIZE ITS 6-YEAR ACTIVITIES IN ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
23.09.2009 14:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On September 25, "Support to the National Program on
HIV/AIDS Prevention in RA" grant will summarize its 6-year activities
in Armenia and hand over coordination of activities to Principle
Recipients: RA Ministry of Health and "Mission East" International
Benevolent Organization.

Armenia was first awarded the grant in 2003. Total of $ 9 million was
provided to help strengthen Armenia’s national capacity to respond to
the HIV epidemic. During the first round of the grant, World Vision
Armenia coordinated 14 grants throughout Armenia.

"Handing over the responsibilities of the Principle Recipient was
carried out through a long process of handing over our experience
and skills in grant management. In future we are willing to support
the new Principle Recipients by sharing with them all the knowledge
we gained during the past six years", says Kamilla Petrosyan, World
Vision Armenia, "World Vision Armenia is grateful to its partners,
among them CCM and National Centre of AIDS Prevention that supported
the implementation of the program".

World Vision Armenia also assumed the responsibility for purchasing
Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for HIV carriers. Currently 152 people
are receiving ARV treatment in Armenia.

The grant provided assistance to 29 HIV-positive pregnant women to
prevent mother-to-child transmission; only one HIV-positive child
was born as a result.

Eleven regional level blood testing laboratories were renovated and
equipped to provide high quality blood testing services and to ensure
all blood donors in the country are tested for HIV