Fighting against AIDS and drugs:
WE ARE AGAIST AIDS AND DRUGS!
“You are not alone” children’s charity takes active participation in lives of people, especially children, with positive HIV-status. Beginning with 2005, at the initiative of Lola Karimova, the chairwoman of the charity, a nationwide campaign “We are against AIDS and drugs!” is being carried out.
As part of this campaign a voluntary anonymous free test of a HIV-status among the population, especially among young people of Tashkent is being conducted.
As well, such test is proposed to children from Tashkent Mercy houses for orphan children, considering the fact that many children who are brought up in these houses are social orphans and the risk of HIV infection among them is rather high. In case of revealing HIV among children, the measures for treatment and health improvement are being undertaken. Since 2008, the charity in conjunction with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is carrying out a project on supporting HIV-infected children, without parental care. As part of this project, social, psychological, consultative amd financial assistance is rendered to newly born children with HIV-status brought to orphanages and HIV-infected pregnant women. The seminar-trainings for the staff of Mercy houses, where children with positive HIV-status live, are also being conducted within the project.
As well, during annual action of the charity, dedicated to the World AIDS Day, the employees of the charity hold meetings with students of Tashkent aiming to increase their awareness on the topical challenges of HIV/AIDS and measures on preventing it, as well as on drug abuse. Specially developed informational materials are being distributed among students. As well, each student is proposed to undergo free anonymous test on revealing HIV-status. Over 4000 students were covered by such meetings during the last year action in Nov-Dec 2009.
A nationwide campaign "We are against AIDS and Drugs!" in 2008 included a contest among representatives of mass-media and students schools and universities across the country. This beginning was supported by governments structures, such as Ministry of Health, Ministry of public, secondary specialized and higher education, National TV&Radio Company, Agency of printing and information, Union of journalists and others. The campaign was held to promote aversion of drug usage among the public, increasing public awareness on the epidemics of HIV/AIDS and beginning of wide-scale activities directed at coordination of information policy and cooperation with mass-media in order to warn young people.
Among the actions of the charity in this direction was organization of a summer health-improvement camp for orphan children, planning to enter universities. The classes in the camp also covered HIV/AIDS awareness, peer-to-peer coaching and avoiding drug abuse.
As well, every year on December 1st “You are not alone” holds charitable concerts for young people of Tashkent, also aimed at promoting healthy life-style and rejection of unhealthy habits. The idols of young people - stars of the world stages participate in such concerts. The last concert, held on Dec 1, 2009 involved a total of 5000 young people as an audience, which was unprecedented for Tashkent.
On 1 December 2009, a Round Table dedicated to the World AIDS Day was also organized by the charity. The event involved over 50 participants – leading scholars, doctors and specialists of medical institutions working on the fight against AIDS and drug addiction.