In Russia’s regions, the GLOBUS project, a large-scale international project to counter HIV/AIDS, is underway

Date: 8 February 2005
Time: 16.00
Venue: St. Petersburg Hall, Sheraton Palace Hotel, 19 1^st Tverskaya-Yamskaya Street

A grand ceremony will take place in Moscow on 8 February 2005, celebrating the launch of the GLOBUS project in Russia’s regions. The aim of the project is to bring about an effective national strategy to counter the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The project is supported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and encompasses ten Russian regions. The project has been allocated a five-year budget of US$88 million.

GLOBUS is being carried out by a consortium of the following five non-governmental organisations: Open Health Institute, FOCUS-MEDIA Foundation, AIDS infoshare, AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW) and Population Services International (PSI). The project is being carried out in close collaboration with the Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development; the Ministry of Justice; the Federal Service for the Monitoring of Consumer Rights and Personal Welfare; the Co-ordinating Council on HIV/AIDS; the Country Coordination Mechanism to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; regional administrations; and public organisations.

In July 2004, an agreement was signed between the Global Fund and the Open Health Institute, the principle recipient of funding, laying the foundations for the enactment of the first stage of the project, which continues until August 2006. The presentation to regional representatives of agreements concerning the collaboration marks the official initiation of the project’s measures.

The following have been invited to the ceremony:

• Gennady Onishchenko – Head of the Federal Service for the Monitoring of Consumer Rights and Personal Welfare

• Aleksandr Goliusov – Head of the HIV/AIDS Prevention Department of the Federal Service for the Monitoring of Consumer Rights and Personal Welfare

• Representatives of the Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development

• Representatives of the Russian Ministry of Justice

• Deputies from the Duma (the lower house of government)

• Bertil Lindblad – a representative of the Joint UN HIV/AIDS Programme (UNAIDS) in Russia

• Representatives of regional administrations participating in GLOBUS

On completion of the official sections there will be a buffet.

You can receive accreditation for the event until 18.00, 7 February 2005, at the Open Health Institute (980 6310, 980 6311).
Contact: Olga Nebyvaeva, Public Relations Consultant
Email: onebyvaeva@ohi.ru