“Ireland increases assistance to fight HIV/AIDS in Central and South East Europe” - Minister Kitt

The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Tom Kitt T.D, has announced assistance of €3 million over two years to UNICEF in support of the UNICEF HIV/AIDS Programme in Central and South East Europe. This announcement follows last weeks Ministerial Conference in Dublin Castle entitled, ‘Breaking the Barriers – Partnership to fight HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia.’

Minister Kitt said, “HIV/AIDS continues to be the biggest single obstacle to reducing poverty and attaining the Millennium Development Goals. There are now 40 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS, 2.1 million of them in Europe and Central Asia.”

On 23 - 24 February 2004, Development Cooperation Ireland and the Department of Health and Children co-hosted a Ministerial Conference in Dublin Castle entitled, Breaking the Barriers - Partnership to fight HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia. The Conference, organised in cooperation with UNAIDS, UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, represents one of the major events of the Irish EU Presidency.

The Dublin Declaration on Partnerships to fight HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia was adopted by 55 countries from Europe and Central Asia here in Dublin on 24th February. The Declaration includes a provision to reinvigorate efforts to ensure that, by 2005, at least 90 percent of young men and women aged 15 to 24 have access to the information, education, including peer education to develop the life skills required to reduce their vulnerability to HIV infection

The Minister explained, “This Development Cooperation Ireland/UNICEF Programme, which will continue until the end of 2005, will help to prevent HIV/AIDS infection among young people in Central and South East Europe.”

The Programme’s priorities are:

• Provision of life skills based education, including HIV prevention, in schools as well as outreach mechanisms for out of school children

• Developing and scaling up interventions targeted at especially vulnerable young people

• Expanding access of young people to health and psycho-social youth friendly services

Minister Kitt continued, “There is a need for urgent action in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. These countries have had the fastest growing epidemic globally, in 2001 and 2002 and a concerted effort is required both nationally and internationally to deal with this pandemic. Also, there is a window of opportunity for action to ensure that the countries of South East Europe and Central Asia do not reach these high prevalence rates in the coming years.” Top