AIDS CONTROL PROJECT

closed

The AIDS Control Project for Moldova finances the AIDS Component of the Moldova TB/AIDS Program, which aims at improving Moldova's health status and assisting the country to achieve it s health-related Millennium Development Goals through reducing mortality, morbidity and transmission of HIVIAIDS, and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and tuberculosis (TB). This program is one of the key pieces of the Government's poverty reduction strategy in the health sector, as it will prevent further groups from falling into poverty due to disabling diseases. The project has three main components beside project management. Component 1, strategic planning & institutional capacity building for HIV/AIDS/STIs control, finances activities to enhance Moldova's capacity in HIV/AIDS/STIs policy making and planning; and supports the CCM and HIV/AIDS National Program to review legislations and regulations related to HIV/AIDS/STIs and propose improvements. Selected operational research would be supported to provide the information base for better policies. The project supports the implementation of a second-generation surveillance system that monitors both HIV infection and risk behaviors (especially among injecting drug users (IDUs) and other highly vulnerable groups) to inform the trend of the epidemic; strengthens laboratory capacity; and provides training. Component 2, scaling up prevention interventions for HIV/AIDS/STIs and STI management, provides targeted interventions for vulnerable and highly vulnerable groups (young people, especially IDUs, commercial sex workers), men that have sex with men, prisoners, military and STIs clinic attendees); helps disseminate the protocol for mother-to-child transmission, supports universal voluntary counseling and testing at ante-natal clinics, and provides HIV-positive pregnant women with short courses of anti-retrovirals (ARV) and infant feeding options; and finances other preventive interventions. Component 3, treatment, care and support for persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), finances the dissemination of clinical protocols for opportunistic infections (OI) management (including TB) and care, trains health workers in implementing such protocols; and ensures the availability of a package of basic drugs for OI management in clinics that deal with AIDS patients; provides highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART); and provides in partnership with nongovernmental organizations, home and community-based care and support for PLWHA.