DUSHANBE, December 9, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- A three-day seminar formally titled “Coverage of HIV/AIDS Subject in Tajik Media” will be held at the Kayon-1 Hotel in Dushanbe from December 11-13.  

Organized by the Independent School of Journalism, Tajikistan – 21st Century (School), and the UNSECO Almaty Cluster Office under technical support of the UNAIDS, the seminar will cover 20 journalists of electronic and print media from Dushanbe, districts subordinate to the center (RRPs) and Khatlon province.

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the School executive director Safo Safarov said that the main objective of the seminar is in training local journalists in professional coverage of HIV/AIDS subjects in media.

“Four trainers from Tajikistan and Kazakhstan will train them in unbiased coverage of HIV/AIDS issues in media,” said Safarov, “Besides, skilled experts will tell journalists of social aspects of HIV and AIDS and ethical norms of preparation of materials on the HIV/AIS subjects.” 

We will recall that two similar trainings have already been conducted in Dushanbe and Qairoqqum (Sughd province) this year.  In all, some 40 journalists have taken part in those two seminars that have been conducted on an initiative of the UNAIDS under support of the UNECO Almaty Cluster Office and the Central Asia AIDS Control Project (CAAP).

According to the Republican AIDS Center, as of October 1, 2008, 1,333 HIV sufferers have been registered in Tajikistan.