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Government Of Turkmenistan And USAID Sign Agreement On HIV/AIDS Prevention Activities In Turkmenistan

PAS No 176
March 16, 2007

Ashgabat, March 16, 2007 – On March 8, Minister of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan Ata Serdarov and USAID Country Representative Ashley Moretz signed a Memorandum of Understanding on implementation of HIV/AIDS prevention activities under USAID’s CAPACITY Project. 

The agreement will enable CAPACITY to scale-up its efforts in the country; activities have been underway in the other four countries of the region since early 2005.  The project, implemented by JSI Research and Training Institute, Inc., will work closely with the National AIDS Center on HIV prevention among vulnerable populations and strengthening the technical capacity of the AIDS Center to manage the national HIV/AIDS prevention program for Turkmenistan.
 
 “We are very happy to cooperate with the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan in this crucial public health area.  It is important to focus on prevention of HIV/AIDS in order to stem the spread of this global health threat, which knows no borders,” noted USAID Country Representative Ashley Moretz at the signing ceremony.
 
CAPACITY is one of the many projects made possible by the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, in Turkmenistan.  Since 1992, the American people through USAID have provided over $70 million in programs that help improve social services, expand access to information, and increase the development of markets and agriculture.  USAID cooperates with ministries, governmental organizations, businesses, and communities in programs to create jobs, increase incomes, improve professional knowledge, and better manage available resources.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provides economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 100 countries worldwide.  Website: http://centralasia.usaid.gov
JSI is a non-profit public health organization using practical and innovative approaches to improve the health of individuals and communities throughout the world.