Montenegro

3 Million Dollars worth Project for prevention of HIV/AIDS in Montenegro

Podgorica, May 19th, 2006

A four year Program of Support to Montenegrin HIV/AIDS Strategy Implementation will be financed by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (GFATM), in line with one of UN Millennium Development Goals - combatting of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases - and in accordance with the recently adopted Republic AIDS Strategy developed by the Montenegrin Republic AIDS Commission. The GFATM has entered a partnership agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as the Principal Recipient of the funds for the Republic of Montenegro.

The overall goal of this Program is to maintain low HIV prevalence in Montenegro and provide care and support for those already affected by HIV/AIDS. Reaching of this goal includes expansion of prevention efforts which will seek to keep HIV prevalence below 1% in all identified vulnerable groups. 

The program was officially announced and the Agreement signed by Montenegrin Minister of Health Miodrag Pavličić, DRR/Head of Office UNDP LO Podgorica Garret Tankosić Kelly and President of Management Board of NGO Juventas Ivana Vojvodić.

The Republic AIDS Strategy developed in Montenegro defined 7 areas of priority, the main goal is prevention of HIV expansion and reducing HIV risk among vulnerable groups including the young, intravenous drug users, commercial sex workers, men having sex with men, sailors, employees in tourist facilities, Roma people and prisoners.

“This goal can be achieved through protection and prevention, diagnostics, improving social care for people living with AIDS, testing on AIDS, monitoring and evaluation of activities related to AIDS. Signing this Agreement will provide conditions for intensifying existing activities and increasing use of measures that will prevent HIV expansion within the Montenegrin population, and particularly among those groups under increased risk of HIV transmission” - outlined the Minister of Health Miodrag Pavličić.

Head of Office UNDP LO Podgorica, Garret Tankosić Kelly, reminded that according to available statistical data, general HIV prevalence in Montenegro is less than 0.01%. “Although infection rates are low, there is a concern that those only represent the top of the iceberg. Estimates vary depending on the source, but they say the actual number could be as high as 400-800. This program will aim to maintain HIV prevalence in Montenegro below 1%, to provide care and support for those already affected by HIV/AIDS and to expand the prevention efforts in all identified vulnerable groups”, said  Mr Tankosić Kelly.  “The aim of the program is to increase use of measures in order to reduce the risks of infection, for example by raising condom use with young people.  In the course of three years which can be extended to one more year, the prevention, care and support efforts will be focused on providing young people with HIV education, establishing of youth counseling centers, needle exchange service points for intravenous drug users and treating infections transmitted through sexual activities, whilst media should play a great role in breaking the boundaries of prejudice and stigma.”

Republic coordinator for HIV/AIDS and the Director of the Institute for Public Health, Boban Mugoša, said that this Agreement is the result of joined forces of the governmental and non-governmental sector and the Technical UN Group, and that significant action was made by provision of funds for the preventive measures directed to those under a risk of easy virus transmission.
“Although infection rates are low in Montenegro we would like to keep it that way. With similar project Montenegro will provide its most vulnerable patients, with everything necessary for their treatment. Our aim is to enable those infected to live a normal life, with no stigma and discrimination and exercise all the rights they are entitled to” - stated Mr Mugoša.