1.5 billion euros needed to fight AIDS in Eastern Europe

To fight the HIV/AIDS epidemics in Eastern Europe and Central Asia efficiently 1.5 billion euros will be needed until 2007. UN agency experts studying the problem of HIV-infection and AIDS diffusion in the countries of former socialist camp. A conference dedicated to fighting these diseases in the countries of that region is taking place in Dublin. KZ-today correspondent has been advised in the press service of the Ministry of Health that the first vice minister of health of RK Anatoliy Belonog participates in the forum.

The UN news centre quotes Peter Piot, head of UNAIDS (Joint UN programme on HIV/AIDS), who has opened the conference. In particular he has observed that "AIDS is a European problem. Of all the social and political challenges facing an expanded European Union, AIDS is one of the greatest, requiring determined and sustained action now," Peter Piot has stressed that "Eastern Europe and Central Asia is experiencing the fastest growing HIV epidemic in the world."

Heads of UN agencies, studying the problem, have stressed that to fight the pandemic not only funds are needed, but also actions on the part of the governments and their partners. They have called ministers of health to take more efficient steps for achieving progress in the realisation of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programmes.

A joint UNAIDS/UNICEF/WHO press release says that there are more than 1.5 million people affected by HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The majority of them are youths. Moreover, according to the specialists, only seven thousand people receive appropriate treatment for HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The World Bank, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the European Union have made a decision to allocate $400 million to finance 22 AIDS prevention programmes in 16 East European and Central Asian countries.