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Last week, 75 ministers agreed to take urgent action to end TB by 2030 at the conclusion of the WHO Global Ministerial Conference on ‘Ending TB in the Sustainable Development Era: A Multisectoral Response’ in Moscow, Russia. President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation gave the keynote speech on the first day of the Conference on 16 November. The first high-level plenary started with the welcome address of Amina J Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary.

On 1st of December, we mark World AIDS Day (WAD) to raise awareness about HIV and its impact

With this letter, we – undersigned civil society organizations – call on you to reinstate the position of Prof. Michel Kazatchkine as your Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA). We strongly urge you to reinstate the position of Prof. Michel Kazatchkine as your Special Envoy for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, or at the very least use your influence to ensure that Prof Kazatchkine may continue his work at UN level, as he is in an excellent position next year to create a momentum to raise awareness on the disruptive situation the epidemics has caused in the region. Please, support this letter by signing it before 30 November 2017 5pm CeT.

Kyrgyzstan is a leading country in the Central Asia in terms of implementation of harm reduction and HIV prevention programs in the correctional settings. Syringe exchange programs have been available in prisons since 2002, and today over one thousand five hundred people receive clean injecting equipment in all twelve correctional facilities. Atlantis rehab centers have been gradually introduced since 2004 for those convicts who made a decision to quit drugs. Currently, eight such centers are functioning, with the ones who have almost succeeded in stopping with drugs continuing treatment in a separate, so-called “clean compound.”

We, at AFEW network, are shocked by the sad news that our colleague Yury Sarankov passed away. Yury worked in AFEW from the very beginning. Starting in Russia, when AFEW was not yet founded and activities were implemented under the flag of Medecins sans Frontiers, he specialized in developing and implementing harm reduction activities. We have lost a strong advocate for HIV prevention, the rights of key populations affected by HIV, and also a very nice man and a very dear colleague. Our condolences go to his family, friends, and colleagues.