People
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Andrey Osadcii - Assistant to the project manager, AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW), Moldova
‘Each person spends their whole life setting goals and devoting huge efforts to achieve them. If looking after your health is not one of those goals, then sooner or later your efforts will come to a standstill .'
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Bakyt Myrzaliev - Deputy General Director, National TB Center, Kyrgyzstan
'I have three wishes: 1. I would like opinions of Kyrgyzstan’s national experts to be considered when making decisions in questions like treatment and managing patients with HIV, TB, HIV/TB coinfection. 2. I’d like to see the alleviation of social and economic burden caused by high HIV/TB morbidity and mortality rates. 3. I wish to slow down and reverse HIV and TB epidemics in our region.'
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Davit Ghonghadze - Public Union Bemoni, Georgia
'Life is like a long and wide road. Love, responsibility and friendship make it more beautiful and safe!’
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Dmitry Samarin - Director of Public Foundation Ranar, Kyrgyzstan
'While sitting in your silent offices, do not forget about those who ended up in prison. Some of them may be innocent. Many of them have TB and HIV. Remember, they still can become equal members of our society, if you extend a helping hand to them'.
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Joost van der Meer - Executive Director, AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW), The Netherlands
'I hope that Vienna will be the catalyst for massive roll-out and sufficient funding for harm reduction in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.'
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Marina Cherkasova - Communications Officer, AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW), Russia
'In order to strengthen the global fight against the HIV epidemic, it is vital that we convince state and medical bodies of the need to create educational and training programmes on issues such as prevention and treatment of HIV and HIV co-infections.’
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Neringa Maleckienė - Medical doctor, volunteer of the Lithuanian Positive Group since 1993
'It‘s been over 20 years since we talk about HIV/AIDS. A part of the society has been touched by this problem and another part thinks that this will never happen to them... The former have learnt to view life positively, while the attitudes of the latter – the indifferent ones – towards PLHIV change very slowly. It is a major problem, and we should be more active in opening the minds and hearts of the indifferent ones.
In Lithuania, we must find the key to the hearts and minds of the people whose decisions determine the well-being of our communities.
We must open every door in order to bring faith: the door that hides dispair and the one that hides indifference. After opening the latter, we must persuade that indifference does not kill individual persons. It kills the entire state.'
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Orest Kinash - Lieutenant-Colonel, State Department of Corrections, Ukraine
‘In order to attain universal access to prevention, treatment and care services for employees of the State Department of Corrections in Ukraine, we need to increase information and overcome barriers like lack of knowledge and myths. Awareness through sharing experience!’
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Raimonda Cikaniene - Head of 'Trust', Anonymous Counseling Center for Social Diseases at the Alytus Committee of the Lithuanian Red Cross Association
'The most important objective for HIV/AIDS prevention is to reach as many injecting drug users as possible through harm reduction services which are the most agreeable for drug users and must be accessible for each one of them. Unfortunately, yearly cuts in funding make this impossible. This year’s funding was cut by 50% which means one social worker less, no HIV, HCV or HBV testing and greater risks of HIV spread among drug users.'
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Roza Oleynikova - Director Public Foundation 'Doverie' ('Trust'), Kazakhstan
'Dear ladies and gentlemen! Let me address you on behalf of hundred thousands people living with HIV throughout Central Asia. Today the highest rates of HIV epidemic are observed in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The theme of AIDS-2010 Conference is universal access to HIV prevention and treatment. However, the global economic crisis may bring along the reduction of investments, so we can only hope that you will continue allocating financial support to resolve pressing issues in HIV response and implement comprehensive and sustainable programmes'.
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Ruta Kaupe - Board Chair of NGO DIA+LOGS, support centre for those affected by HIV/AIDS, Latvia
'I wish that society and governments understand the real mission and benefit of harm reduction programs. It is not about supporting people for drug use, but it is preventing HIV spread among our children, youth, friends and relatives. We work for every individual and for the next generations. We haven‘t come to the world to blame others for their behavior, but to help all who are in need. And the ways of support could be very different.
If we are together, we can manage much more. Let‘s share our knowledge, experience, cooperation and resources for the healthy world of tomorrow.'
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Svetlana Kulsis - Svetlana Kulsis, Head of 'Demetra', association of women affected by HIV and their families, Lithuania
'World experience shows that HIV prevalence decreases through active involvement of vulnerable populations into prevention efforts. In Lithuania, comprehensive, acceptable and user-friendly services, directed towards reducing risk of HIV infection must be expanded immediately and HIV prevention, treatment and care must be made accessible, free and anonymous.'
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Svetlana Valko - Trainer/Communications Officer, AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW), Ukraine, Moldova & Belarus
‘The right to health is not just about making laws and international declarations. Above all, it is about attitude, creating a space that is free of myths, prejudice, stigma and discrimination. Live and work free of limitations and labels!’
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Yuliya Gorbunova - Charitable Foundation for Educational Development, Health Promotion and HIV/AIDS Prevention (The Timur Islamov Foundation), Naberezhniye Chelny, Republic of Tatarstan
‘In my opinion, the most important component of an AIDS service is prevention among key populations. We work for people like ourselves who deal with real situations and don’t comfort themselves with illusions! Strong HIV prevention delivers the right to health: to me, my loved ones and my friends! We don’t need superhuman efforts. We simply need a little understanding from the society around us and we can claim our right to health!’
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Anke van Dam - Director of Operations and Programmes, AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW), The Netherlands
'My big wish is that AIDS Foundation East-West may continue its activities in ensuring universal access in Eastern Europe and Central Asia; that donors allow us to consolidate and expand the great results, which we have achieved with our local partners so far.'
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David Kazaishvili - Public Union Bemoni, Georgia
‘Believe in the power of Life! Believe in the power of Action! Let’s unite Knowledge, Love and Care against the HIV Epidemic!’
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Dirk Schaeffer - Officer for HIV Prevention in Connection with Drug Use, Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe e.V., Germany
'Human rights for people who use drugs - War against drugs is a war against drug user'
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Inga Upmace - HIV Prevention Co-coordinator, Infectology Center, Latvia
'It is our responsibility to ensure qualitative HIV prevention and antiretroviral treatment in order to help people to survive. It doesn’t matter who they are: young females, men who have sex with men or drug users. HIV is a preventable infection, nevertheless it is still spreading. It’s time for real action, for collaboration of all stakeholders and for universal access to client-friendly services.'
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Judith Zaal - Assistant to the Management Team, AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW), The Netherlands
'I hope that harm reduction will stay on the Dutch governments’ agenda.'
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Mikhail Ushakov - Managing Director of Youth Centre ‘Light’, Samara
"The key to the success of HIV prevention programs is to encourage the active involvement of teenagers and young people at every single stage. That means absolutely everything: from planning, preparation and implementation to monitoring and evaluation. By getting them to participate in the actual running of project activities, we can significantly increase the effectiveness of our sexual and reproductive health campaigns, and in particular HIV prevention work in the community".
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Olga Rakhimova - Social Worker, Public Organization Vita, Tajikistan
'The spread of HIV has become one of the world’s major threats. Every year HIV takes more and more lives. This epidemic is developing in the Republic of Tajikistan as well, and we are doing our best to stem its spread. Effective HIV response can only be possible through expanding prevention programmes, increasing access to treatment, providing psychological, medical and social assistance to people living with HIV. Only by developing these services we can succeed in the fight against HIV/AIDS. We are certain that the Conference that traditionally brings together our civil society, scientists and doctors, will help us to find answers to vitally important questions.'
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Parvina Akhmedova - Resource Сenter Manager, Public Organisation 'Center of mental health and HIV/AIDS', Tajikistan
'Expand access to medical assistance in prisons for inmates with HIV and HIV-positive IDUs; develop profitable activities among PLHIV communities; build capacities of PLHIV communities in micro-financing; strengthen literacy of PLHIV in the legal issues and enhance personal therapy of PLHIV…'
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Ramunas Ragalinskas - Member of the Lithuanian Positive Group, HIV positive since 1994
'The most important thing for us, people living with HIV, is to receive free of charge monitoring blood tests and ARV treatment. The economic crisis is not a valid excuse for the government to breach laws, violate the rights of PLHIV and drive them to despair. Also, HIV prevention (including harm reduction) among vulnerable populations should be given priority – it is much cheaper than HIV treatment.'
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Rustam Bakhriddinov - Director, NGO 'Fidokor', Tajikistan / Директор, ООО "Фидокор", Таджикистан
'AIDS doesn’t recognize borders – this is obvious for anyone working in the field of HIV prevention and care. However, politicians often have their own opinions, making new barriers for both people living with HIV and those who want to help them. We demand that the law works against the DISEASE, and not against those AFFECTED by the disease!'
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Sergey Nikitin - IT Manager, AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW)
‘Technological development, including the set-up of internet-centred services, is a resource-saving way of building the capacity of HIV services and would significantly increase access to information, services and training!’
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Svetlana Saduakasova - Director Public Foundation 'Taldykorgan regional assistance and employment fund', Kazakhstan
'This Conference is our opportunity to exchange information, experience, to strengthen collaboration among partners. My wish is that voices of all our partners be heard! This is our hope to live in a better world where tolerance and kindness prevail; our hope that our attention and efforts will save people’s lives.'
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Willehad Rensmann - Executive Officer, Aidshilfe Dortmund e.V., Germany
'My wish is that Aidshilfe organisations (organisations that do HIV prevention and advocacy for people living with HIV at the same time) in Germany go on to play a crucial role in fighting stigmatisation, exclusion and criminalisation of people living with HIV – especially in the current climate, where HIV is getting decreasing attention and an ideological approach to drug and social policy has set in. Such rigid, ideological approaches undermine the successes of the past by exclusively promoting individual responsibility and rejecting the principles of solidarity and community.
The Aidshilfe approach, the integration of self-organisation and professionalism, could be highly beneficial for other contexts as well, such as Eastern-Europe and Central Asia.'
