MOSCOW, 12 March, 2008. HIV/AIDS workplace prevention, nondiscrimination of people living with HIV, overcoming stigma and stereotypes, joint efforts by the government, unions and employers’ organizations in fighting the epidemic - these were the issues discussed yesterday at the final Dissemination Workshop of ILO/USDOL HIV/AIDS Workplace Education Programme in Russia. Speaking on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development, Viktor Kobzanenko, head of department a.i., expressed satisfaction with the project’s results.

-The situation is positive, but it should not give us a reason for tranquility, -says Michele Sidibe, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS.- Testing still reveals a large number of new cases of HIV. The virus strikes 7,000 people in the world daily. Also daily we register 6,000 new deaths of AIDS. For this reason, one can say that this is the most important social, economic and political issue in the world. It is comforting to know that the number of people who have access to medical assistance is growing. While 3-4 years ago their number amounted to 500,000, now we can speak of 3 million. 7 million of HIV infected need treatment.

On March 3, 2008 a regular meeting of the Organizing Committee of the EECAAC took place in the Federal Service of Surveillance Over Customer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being.