REPORT
By LEAHN Regional Co-ordinator, Aleksandr Zelichenko, PhD
Training on the Joint Order and Instruction «Improvement of HIV prevention at work with vulnerable groups of population» from 21.01.2014, issued by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Penitentiary Service, and the State Drug Control Service of Kyrgyz Republic
On March 15 2014, a seminar was conducted to study the above documents and educate personnel from the General Drug Control Department of Ministry of Internal Affairs (21 officers) about the role of law enforcement in HIV prevention.
The seminar began with a brief analysis of the current situation in the region in relation to the planned withdrawal of Coalition forces in Afghanistan (summer 2014), potential aggravation of the drug situation in the Central Asian region, and rationale for threatening intensification of drug production and drug-trafficking.
The PowerPoint presentation (56 slides) described key points of the Joint Order and Instruction, and accompanied by supplementary training materials, handouts and discussion of a case study. Use of real-world examples and analytical materials enabled participants to link the Joint Order and Instruction to the current drug policy, drug situation and related legislation.
A special focus of the presentation was on the personal safety of law enforcement personnel – a topic which has been shown to increase police support for HIV prevention approaches in some settings. Negative and unfair attitudes toward vulnerable groups at risk of HIV infection were also highlighted as obstacles to HIV prevention, treatment and care services .
Almost each slide of presentation had been followed by comments and case study. It moved the seminar to the more broad discussion beyond the initial topic: in-depth discussion of harm reduction programs and, the most important, the opioid substitution therapy (OST).
Invited representatives of Soros-Kyrgyzstan Foundation and International Foundation “AIDS East-West” were fully engaged in training sessions and discussions.
In addition, the seminar participants received handouts and learning materials for further in-depth self-study.
View PowerPoint presentation LEAHN March 2014 (Russian)
Aleksandr Zelichenko, PhD,
LEAHN Regional Coordinator, trainer.