KHUAND, August 28, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Specialists have determined needs of people living with HIV in the northern Sughd province, the Sughd Regional AIDS Center director Abdujalol Jabborov said in an interview with Asia-Plus. 

According to him, an enlarged meeting was held on August 27 within the framework of the Access and Amal projects of the AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW).  These projects are aimed at prevention of spread of HIV in Central Asia as well as development of a system of health care and psychosocial support for people living with HIV in northern Tajikistan.    

            The meeting participants included representatives of 27 public associations of Tajikistan, international experts, physicians and law enforcement officers.  

            The meeting summed up the results of work of maintenance services for high-risk groups and announced the launch of information campaign for raising HIV/AIDS and reducing stigma and discrimination against HIV sufferers.  A special attention was paid to needs of injecting drug users (IDUs), TB sufferers, commercial sex workers (CSWs) as well as people living with HIV in the province, Jabborov said.