Link between HIV and migration to be discussed in Chisinau

A roundtable on HIV and migration is going to take place in Chisinau, on November 14-15, 2006, organized by the International Organization for Migration, Mission to Republic of Moldova. According to the organizers, the event will gather representatives of governmental institutions from Republic of Moldova, international experts in HIV and migration field, relevant UN theme group as well as civil society, representatives active in HIV area to discuss the issues related to HIV and migration, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), migrants’ health and social protection. Additionally, the Chisinau roundtable is aimed at raising public opinion awareness to HIV dissemination among migrants and the mobile population from Moldova. The need for this event derives form the constant increase of HIV and STI cases among migrants and mobile population of the Republic of Moldova, in the context of Moldova’s out migration phenomenon. Among the subjects to be discussed in the “HIV and Migration” roundtable are: policies on HIV and migration, vulnerability of mobile population, effective prevention strategies to respond to HIV, treatment and care services, epidemiological aspects of HIV and migration in Moldova, the role of consular services in protection of migrants’ health rights abroad. The participants will also be familiarized with the results of HIV and STIs prevention activities carried out among Moldovan communities in Italy and Russia, two main destination countries for Moldovan migrants. These activities, as well as the roundtable, are developed in the framework of the project “HIV Prevention among Migrants in the Republic of Moldova”, which is currently being implemented by IOM Moldova with the financial support from the Global Fund to Fight HIV/TB/Malaria and Soros Foundation-Moldova. According to data provided by the AIDS Center, within the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, 533 new HIV cases were registered in 2005, which constitutes 12,5 per 100,000 population. During the first semester of current year, 301 new cases of HIV have been detected, compared to 6 months of 2005, when 236 cases were identified.