World Bank Press Release - June 10, 2003

The proposed AIDS Control Project is one component of the Moldova TB/AIDS Program, which is expected to include parallel financing from the following grants: the IDA grant of US$5.5 million equivalent for AIDS, a USAID grant of US$4.0 million for TB, and a US$5.2 million grant from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM). The Government finances US$230,000.

"Through this project, the Government of the Republic of Moldova aims to attain a well-determined objective of crucial importance for the health of the population in this country, namely the reduction of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections, and treatment of HIV/AIDS infected people, in particular women, children and teenagers. According to projections, project implementation could lead to a significant reduction of losses expected in Moldova in the next years due to absence from work, increased expenditures in the health sector, and reduction in life expectancy," says Andrei Gherman, Moldovan Minister of Health.

HIV/AIDS can spread quickly unless pre-emptive action is taken. According to UNAIDS, the estimated number of people living with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2001 was 5,500, primarily acquired through intravenous drug use. The estimated number of deaths due to AIDS in that same year was 300.

"This project breaks new ground. It is the first time that the World Bank (IDA) has approved a grant for AIDS control in Europe and Central Asia. Also, this project is applauded as an example of best-practice collaboration between the Bank (IDA) and the Global Fund," says Joana Godinho, the World Bank Task Team Leader of the Project.

The Project has four components:

A. Strategic Planning & Institutional Capacity Building for HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections(STIs) control. This component will finance and support (i) activities to enhance Moldova's capacity in HIV/AIDS and STIs policy making and planning; (ii) the implementation of a second-generation surveillance system that monitors both HIV infection and risk behaviors; (iii) improvement in Moldova's laboratory capacity to handle an expected increase in the volume of basic HIV/AIDS and STIs-related testing through the provision of laboratory equipment, test kits and training; and (iv) training for health care workers, capacity building for NGOs and provide them with training in outreach, counseling, peer education, and home-based care and support.

B. Scaling up prevention interventions for HIV/AIDS and STIs. Incentives will be provided for peer educators and other service providers to encourage them to reach out to vulnerable and highly vulnerable groups. The Moldova-based Soros Foundation/Open Society Institute will manage 18 NGO subprojects, including selection, appraisal and supervision of the subprojects to reach highly vulnerable groups. The project will improve access to STIs services, especially for youth and highly vulnerable groups, by improving the quality of the services, and making them more client-friendly. The project will support awareness campaigns (at the national and community levels), and voluntary counseling and testing.

C. Treatment, care and support for People Living with HIV/AIDS. The project will finance treatment of opportunistic infections and treatment of HIV/AIDS. The initiative will initially cover a limited number of patients and eventually be scaled up under additional funding from the GFATM to cover all patients who meet the medical criteria for the therapy. Home and community-based care and support for People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) will be conducted in partnership with NGOs. Such organizations will be given grants and training to provide home and community-based care for PLWHA.

D. Project Management and Evaluation. The project will finance additional staffing to complement the existing Project Coordination Unit of the Moldova Health Investment Fund (HIF) project. Project Monitoring and Evaluation will include baseline and follow-up studies, mid-term review and impact evaluation at project end. The project will finance the required studies and necessary technical assistance.

Since Moldova joined the World Bank in 1992, World Bank commitments to Moldova total US$504.3 million for 22 projects.

For more information about HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia, please visit:

http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/ECA/ECSHD.nsf/ECADocByUnid/D9F7F54DD 0D0668E85256C910061A9BC?Opendocument

For UNAIDS epidemiological fact sheet on Moldova, please visit:

http://www.unaids.org/hivaidsinfo/statistics/fact_sheets/pdfs/Mol dova_en.pdf

Contacts:

Washington: Miriam Van Dyck (202) 458-2931

mvandyck@worldbank.org

Chisinau: Slavian Gutu (3732) 232737

sgutu@worldbank.org

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