Professional Documents
Culture Documents
for Most at Risk Adolescents in Uzbekistan:
An Emergency Response to the Fastest
Growing HIV Epidemic in Central Asia
Komiljon Akhmedov
HIV/AIDS Programme Officer,
UNICEF Uzbekistan
Coauthors:
Prof. Munisa Asadova, Adolescents RH Centre “Tarikat”
Dr. Uktam Djalilov, Adolescents RH Centre “Tarikat”
Mr. Rob Grey, PSI Central Asia
2007 HIV/AIDS Implementers’ Meeting – Scaling up Through Partnership, Kigali, Rwanda, June 1619 2007
Number of cumulative HIV cases in Uzbekistan
12000
10015
10000
7810
8000
5612
6000
3596
4000
1675
2000
779
230
0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Cumulative Cases
What makes Most at Risk Adolescents more at
risk than others from their peer group
• Psychological factors
• Social/sub cultural patterns
• Access to services
Service use determinants according to age
• Reproductive health services can not be provided to juveniles
without parental consent
• If approaching narcological services they will be reported to
police and registered risking being under surveillance
• If diagnosed with STI, exposed to embarrassing contact
tracing by the police
• If engaged in male to male sex they may focus criminal
prosecution
• Teen pregnancy is being investigated and publicly exposed
• Accessing any service may lead to victimization and
punishment
Service providers
• Working with adolescents can be risky for
service providers
• They are not allowed to provide confidential
services
• The reporting requirement in very strong
As a Result:
• Most of service providers avoid working with
adolescents
• No effective prevention programs are
available/accessible for adolescents
• They do not benefit from school based prevention
programs
• They are not welcome in existing harm reduction
services
• Number of HIV cases among young people is
growing in Uzbekistan ( in 2000 38 cases; in 2005 –
330 cases)
As result:
(KAPB survey among adolescent at risk groups 1018 y.o.)
• 35% of adolescents engaged in selling sex don’t know
modes of HIV transmission
• 66% of adolescents don’t know how to prevent from HIV
transmission
• 51% adolescent don’t use any health services
• 48% Share syringes or needles
• 69% Share solutions & filters
• 40% AMSMs did not know about HIV
Two prong strategy for HIV prevention
among the most at risk adolescents
Improve “
Improve “supply side
supply side” ”
Especially Vulnerable Adolescents (EVA)
• Evidence Based Advocacy and
Policy/legislation change YFHS
• Introduction of YFHS standards introduced in PHC and
and certification & performance specialized health
measurement services (STI, Narcology,
• Capacity building of YFH service RH, AIDS) + Out Reach
providers
General youth
Increase demand Peer Education and
• Development of BCC strategies Outreach Work for
MARA/YP
for MARA/YP MARA/YP to: a) deliver
• Selection, training and promotion targeted interventions b) refer
of Peer to Peer Education to specialized services
certified as YFHS
Immediate Result:
Number of YFHS users in 3 hot spot areas
(December 2006 – May 2007)
300
250 Dec March
200
April
150 May
100
50
0
n d a l
ila a n v ot a
rg k Ku T
M a Ko
Immediate Result:
Number of adolescents tested for STI and HIV within
YFHS project in hot spots
140
120
100
DecMarch
80
April
60 b May
40
20
0
Margilan Kokand Kuva Total
Lessons Learned and Key Recommendations
• Adolescents use services if they are confidential
(YFHS proved this concept)
• Wide use of patronage system
• Improve monitoring system for MARA and make it a
part of national M&E system
• Need for advocacy work to change existing laws
• Need to increase tolerance of law enforcement bodies
and community leaders towards MARA
Thank you!