The joint project of The Siberian Network of AIDS-service organizations on providing care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. Development and establishment of support groups for PLWHAs.
Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. D10306)
In Siberian region the community of PLWHAs is very scattered. There are no self- and mutual support groups at all, while the foreign experience demonstrates the outstanding effectiveness of such a form of support to HIV-positive people who in need. They do not have anybody to discuss their problems with, the problems of health strengthening, questions of treatment and other topics actual for PLWHAs and their relatives. Staying isolated they do not have any possibility for lobbying their own interests and protection of their rights. Because of stigma and discrimination related to HIV/AIDS, the rights of HIV-positive people and their relatives often become violated. Various types of prejudices and stigmatization reduce or completely exclude the possibility to use health care services and lead to illegal dismissal on the ground of the fact a person is HIV-infected. The struggle against stigma and discrimination upon HIV/AIDS shows the most effective results on a community level. It is very important PLWHAs themselves fight against discrimination based on HIV-status. Another effective way to reduce stigma is information and counselling work with people close to HIV-positive as well as wide information campaigns aimed at all population of concrete region with the goal to stop all discrimination."Siberia-AIDS-Aid" Tomsk Regional Charitable Fund works in the field of HIV/AIDS/STDs prevention more than 6 years. We started from provision of social-psychological counsellings to HIV-positive people and their relatives. In January 2003 we have started in Siberian region of Russia a new joint project of The Siberian Network of AIDS-service organizations on providing care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. Development and establishment of support groups for PLWHAs. The project is aimed at development and management of support-groups for PLWHAs and is ready to become the first such global project for PLWHAs ever realized in Siberian part of Russia.
Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV, HIV Seropositivity, Organizations, Health Services, HIV Infections, Self-Help Groups, Human Development, Prejudice, Health Services Needs and Demand, Health, Financial Management, HIV-1, Infection, Russia, Siberia, economics, organization & administration
