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This conference focused primarily on Central Asia's rapidly
expanding HIV epidemic, to date fueled largely by injecting
drug use. The conference addressed the problems of drug use
and trafficking and attendant health and social consequences
by highlighting effective public policies, best-practice public
health interventions, and protection of human rights. By bringing
together leaders and experts in government, health and medicine,
security, and other areas, the conference aimed to create
an open dialogue in which numerous stakeholder groups share
information and experience and seek to develop concrete and
comprehensive objectives.
The conference focused on the five Central Asian countries
that were once part of the Soviet Union: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Conference Presentations
Julie Stachowiak, MIA, MPH and Chris Beyrer,
MD, MPH
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Using subtyping of HIV to track different strains of the virus,
scientists have shown that HIV infection moves in close tandem
with the movement of heroin trafickers. While precise data
on HIV in Central Asia is unknown, it is clear that the region
is a critical drug trafficking route, making it vulnerable
to an outbreak of the virus. An open and honest assessment
of drug laws and human rights in the region is urgently needed
to slow the spread of HIV.
Anthony White
The strategy of of "upstream intervention," whereby
developed States in zones of narcotics consumption switch
some of their enforcement focus from their own frontiers to
areas within zones of cultivation and production, is based
in part on not unreasonable self-interest. However, there
remains open some question of whether the strategy can in
effect hasten a State that is still mainly one of drugs transit
towards acquiring increasing problems of domestic drug usage,
organized crime and public corruption, not to mention rapidly
swelling prison and HIV-infected populations.
Joanne Csete, Human Rights Watch
From even the most cursory reading of the history of HIV/AIDS,
it is very clear that abusing the human rights of persons
at high risk of infection and of persons living with AIDS
is one of the most reliable ways to fuel this epidemic - and,
conversely, protecting their rights yields great success.
Joanne Csete, Human Rights Watch
The list of AIDS-related human rights abuses is long, varied,
and interconnected. This presentation attempts to answer the
question, "How do we begin to address this wide range
of abuses?"
Els Klinkert
In recent years, the AIDS epidemic has led to surprising new
partnerships between a wide range of actors. This is indicative
of the urgency of the AIDS problem. More and more organizations
have realized that the only way to achieve progress is by
joining forces.
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Powerpoint Presentations |
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Almaz Sharman, MD, PhD
USAID Regional Mission for Central Asia
Dr Alex Wodak
Emilis Subata, MD
Galina Karmanova
Sergei Boshko
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