Track A: Basic Science

This track highlighted all aspects of HIV structure, replication, and the host immune responses and led to a greater understanding of HIV pathogenesis. The scope also included drug discovery, research on vaccines and advancements in animal models.

Track B: Clinical Research, Treatment and Care

This track highlighted the latest research findings of the characteristics and clinical course of HIV infection, diagnosis and treatment of opportunistic infections and other HIV-related disorders, antiretroviral therapy and immunotherapy. Aspects of medicine and related health issues to be addressed include pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology and dentistry. Best practices in care and treatment issues related to resource-limited settings were emphasized.

THE NEXT GENERATION – VIRUS FREE BY 2015

What can be done to educate and empower young people to make healthy and informed choices to stay HIV – negative?

What works – What are challenges?

Track C: Epidemiology and Prevention

This track highlighted progress in the collection, analysis and use of data that describe the distribution of HIV and the behaviours that spread it.

Surveillance methods, observational studies and experimental studies were presented.

The focus was on the design and evaluation of HIV prevention interventions as well as on the natural history of infection and demographic impact of HIV.

This track examined methodological advances in epidemiology and surveillance

Track D: Social and Economic Issues

This track highlighted three major areas: studies that increase our understanding of

HIV/AIDS infection, its risks along with the means to prevent it on a population-wide scale.

strategies to maintain the quality of life and well-being of people living with HIV/AIDS

ways to minimize the impact of HIV/AIDS infection on individuals (children and adults), families, communities and society at large.

Track E: Policy and Program Implementation

The objectives of this track are to: share information on policy evolution and

leadership of HIV/AIDS program implementation at global, regional, national and community levels;

describe the impact of existing and evolving policies on HIV/AIDS program implementation;

share lessons learned and provide examples of effective HIV/AIDS programs.

ThPeD7870AIDS knowledge for community families

O.KhachatryanArmenia

- Issues: The Armenian Red Cross Society (ARCS) has provided years of continuous HIV/AIDS prevention activity focusing it in community.

- Description: Poverty and unemployment force men to look for a job in neighbor countries, mainly in Russia, where the number of HIV infected people is very big. Lack of knowledge among infected men and their wives, traditional pudency to speak about sexual health in community’s families brings to spreading HIV infection. Women’s knowledge of HIV risk reduction is extremely low: only 19% of community women have some idea about AIDS. Therefore providing correct information and breaking silence on sexual health will help to improve household and community practices and decrease AIDS epidemic spreading. ARCS chose the establishment of a Voluntary Community Service as a comprehensive approach to improve knowledge on sexual health. Health volunteers were selected from the most intelligent and authoritative communities’ members.

The main activities are the following: 743 ARCS volunteers, 2062 schoolchildren, 387 young wives from 34 regions of Armenia were trained on AIDS, about 40000 young people participated in discussions on AIDS organized by trained volunteers, 7100 copies of “Sexological Explanatory Dictionary”, 28000 copies of “Safe sex is your choice” booklet are printed and distributed, 2 video films on AIDS prevention were created and broadcast on TV, numerous STI/HIV test-systems were provided to medical facilities.

- Lessons learned: According to pre- and post-training survey the ARCS efforts have led to significant improving HIV/AIDS knowledge among young families in communities and young people generally.

- Recommendations: The educational campaign on AIDS prevention in community should be continued.

The main points of the abstract

• The Armenian Red Cross has provided years of continuous HIV/AIDS prevention activity focusing it in community.

• Poverty and unemployment force men to look for a job in neighbor countries, mainly in Russia, where the number of HIV infected people is very large.

• Lack of knowledge among infected men and their wives, traditional pudency to speak about sexual health in community’s families brings to spreading HIV infection.

The main points of the abstract

• Women’s knowledge of HIV risk reduction is extremely low: only 19% of community women have some idea about AIDS.

• Providing correct information and breaking silence on sexual health will help to improve household and community practices and decrease AIDS epidemic spreading.

• The ARCS has chosen the establishment of a Voluntary Community Service as a comprehensive approach to improve knowledge on sexual health.

The main points of the abstract

The main activities included: – 743 ARCS volunteers, 753 teachers, 2062

schoolchildren, 387 young wives from 34 regions of Armenia were trained on AIDS

– about 40000 young people participated in discussions on AIDS organized by trained volunteers

– 7100 copies of “Sexological Explanatory Dictionary”, 28000 copies of “Safe sex is your choice” booklet are printed and distributed

– 2 video films on AIDS prevention were created and broadcast on TV

– numerous STI/HIV test-systems were provided to medical facilities

PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN EVER HEARD ABOUT AIDS AT BASELINE AND FOLLOW-UP*

* the differences are statistically significant, p < 0.05

84,6

94,3

15,4

5,7

75

80

85

90

95

100

105

Baseline Follow-up

Pe

rce

nta

ge

NeverheardaboutAIDSEverheardaboutAIDS

PERCENTAGE OF MOTHERS WHO CITE AT LEAST TWO KNOWN WAYS OF REDUCING THE RISK OF HIV

INFECTION

13,2

33,8

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Per

cen

tage

Women <25 Women >25

HIV knowledge

WOMEN KNOWLEDGE OF HIV RISK REDUCTION (AT LEAST 2 WAYS KNOWN) AT BASELINE AND FOLLOW-UP

the differences are statistically significant, p < 0.05

19

47,5

81

52,5

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Baseline Follow-up

Pe

rc

en

tag

e

No

Yes

Lessons learned

Women knowledge of HIV risk reduction is extremely low.

According to baseline and final surveys the ARCS efforts have led to significant improving HIV/AIDS knowledge among young families in communities and young people generally.

Conclusion

The educational campaign on AIDS

prevention in community should be

continued.

FIRST REDUCE THE HARM

Ideas for future

• How to change some approaches to conduct our training

• How to include innovative efforts to overcome barriers to scaling-up and sustaining programs in a variety of settings, particularly in urban and rural communities, in some specific groups of people

Ideas for future

• How to identify gaps in policy development based on the existing information about the HIV/AIDS situation and the availability of resources to implement and expand HIV/AIDS programs

• Strengthening families and communities for prevention and care

THANK YOU