Armenia to receive 19 million EUR to fight AIDS

PanARMENIAN.Net - UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, has secured 19 million EUR for Armenia over the course of six years for its fight against the virus, said UNAIDS South Caucasus Representative Manoela Grozdanova told a press conference on the World AIDS Day. Starting from 2010 Armenia will receive funds allocated by the Global Fund to fight HIV and AIDS.



According to Manoela Grozdanova, the funds will support work state agencies have committed to carry out. UN Member States, including Armenia, adopted the 2001 UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, which became the first global program on activities related to HIV response.



Armenian Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Mkhitar Mnatsakanyan in his speech noted the huge damage HIV virus causes and the importance of measures to combat it.



The conference was attended by representatives of organizations concerned with protecting the rights of people living with HIV.



"On the Day to fight AIDS let's protect rights of people living with HIV and those who are at risk of disease, as well as children living in families with HIV. And most importantly, let's act now," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stressed in his message.