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Until 1996, Belarus was considered a nation with a low prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Today, Belarus has one of the highest HIV/AIDS incidence rates in the region. The number of persons registered as HIV-positive in Belarus reached 10,690 in January 2010. 66.8 percent of all HIV-infected persons (7,144) are between 15-24 years old. 37.4% infected with HIV are women (3,994) and 62.6% are men (6,696). The Gomel Region leads the number of registered cases with 5,528 cases of HIV, with an infection index of 377.5 per 100,000 persons. The city of Minsk has 1,477 cases, and an index of 80,8 per 100,000. The number of persons infected as a result of sexual contact is steadily growing – 35.5 percent in 2003, 57.2% in 2005, 66.8% in 2007, 75% in 2008, and 77.6% in 2009.

DEVELOPMENT PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION AND HIV/AIDS RESPONSES

UNDP is one of the members of the UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS in Belarus. The Theme Group has assisted the Government of Belarus in the identification of strategies for the national response. Support was provided for the development of the Strategic Plan of Responses to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Belarus for 2004-2008 and the State Programme for HIV/AIDS Prevention for 2001-2005. The Theme Group played a key role in mobilizing funds, designing and piloting projects aimed at preventing HIV among injecting drug users, commercial sex workers, youth, MSM, prisoners, army personnel, as well as initiatives for the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV. 

Stopping the spead of the epidemic and reducing its impact

Since December 2004, UNDP and the Belarusian Ministry of Health have implemented the joint project “Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS in the Republic of Belarus”, funded by the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria.

The Project supported the activities of 56 confidential counseling points for intravenous drug users operating in all regions of Belarus. The counseling points provide injecting drug users with a whole range of medical and psychological services including syringe-exchange, counseling, information and education services.

The Project has also organized HIV/AIDS preventive interventions targeted at vulnerable groups such as female sex workers and men having sex with men. The interventions have included the training of 100 professionals working with vulnerable groups, information and education activities, distribution of condoms, disinfectants and information materials for those target groups.

Training on HIV/AIDS treatment for medical doctors working in penitentiary institutions was organized as part of the Project component on HIV prevention in prisons. On completing the training, doctors were awarded state certificates. Thanks to this initiative, trained professionals on HIV/AIDS treatment are now available in penitentiary institutions. In addition, a special laboratory ensuring the proper monitoring on the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy administered to HIV-positive prisoners has been provided to the Medical Service of the Penitentiary Department of the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

For the first time, palliative care services at home were made available to persons with heavy manifestations of AIDS in three cities of the country (Minsk, Svetlogorsk and Zhlobin). Meaningful support was provided to the Belarusian Ministry of Health in establishing a uniform national system for HIV/AIDS monitoring and evaluation. The system allows for the most advanced monitoring of HIV/AIDS based on the use of information technologies.

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