Partnerships called key to scale up prevention of HIV in Albania

TIRANA, Dec 1 – United Nations Agencies in Albania are implementing programmes which aim to scale up preventive actions to halt the spread of HIV in the country. National data shows that 35 people have been diagnosed with HIV in 2008. The first person identified with HIV in Albania was in 1993. Since then, a total of 290 people have been diagnosed. The predominant way of transmission in Albania is heterosexual. Young people are especially vulnerable to the epidemic. This is due to risky behaviors (low condom use coupled with massive internal and external migration, low knowledge on HIV/AIDS and lack of access to education and services due to scarce resources). There are 17 sero-positive children out of which 12 were infected through transmission.
The Albanian Government has joined hands with the UN Theme Group on HIV AIDS and other partners to reach its national strategy objective in keeping Albania a low HIV/AIDS prevalence country. The fight against HIV/AIDS is also one of the Millennium Development Goals. The Albanian Government and the UN Agencies are working to prevent and reverse the situation by 2015.
United Nations Agencies are providing technical support to the government in improving testing services and monitoring and evaluation system. Support also goes towards provision of opportunities to access safe and low price ARVs (anti- retroviral) for people with HIV/AIDS.
Moreover People Living with HIV Association has been encouraged to participate in policy formulation to ensure the protection of their fundamental rights.
Key steps were taken during the 2008 in improving the overall work and life environment for people living with HIV/AIDS. A new project law on prevention and control of HIV/AIDS has been approved with the involvement of civil society and People Living with HIV Association.
The national strategy on HIV/AIDS has also been revised representing an important step in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Albania.
The last data from the new UNAIDS/WHO report 2008 show that the overall global prevalence has leveled off during 2008, partly as a result of HIV programmes.
The access to HIV treatment has also improved markedly and people are living longer and better due to the life prolonging effects of the antiretroviral therapy.
The reports also show a growing rate for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Since 2001, when the United Nations Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS was signed, the number of people living with HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia has increased by more than 150% from 630 000 to 1.6 million in 2007.
Despite progress in 2008, the number of people living with HIV globally is still high, 33.2 million, out of which 2.5 million are newly infected. More than 6,800 new infections and over 5,700 deaths occur each day due to AIDS.
On the World AIDS Day, everyone is encouraged to keep the promise and continue fight against HIV epidemic.