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Russia - seeing huge reduction in HIV infection rate |
Against this background, ACET Russia has been conducting targeted HIV and AIDS education and training in schools, colleges and universities. Up until 2010, there were 308 pupils registered as being HIV positive in the target institutions, a number that had risen fast over previous years. However, in 2010, only one new HIV infection case was reported, surprising doctors and health workers at the government AIDS centre. This dramatic reduction has been linked to the prevention and awareness programmes provided in the institutions, programmes in which ACET has played a critical role. Indeed, the ACET programme has been heralded as key to this dramatic fall in infection rates, and as such authorities in Togliatti have requested ACET to extend its programme to new schools and universities.
A further success of ACET’s work in Russia has been found in an orphanage where ACET delivers its education and training programme. Here, children that have grown up in broken and often violent homes, often become vulnerable to alcohol and drug abuse, and risky sexual behaviour – causing them to be at risk of HIV infection. However, following a two year intensive intervention by ACET, and the provision of HIV prevention and education training, the director of the orphanage has recently reported changes in the lives of some of the orphans, and more critically, the fact that no drugs have been found in the blood of the resident children for the last few months. This marks significant progress and a key step forward, and ACET Russia will be working hard with the orphanage to ensure this trend continues. |
