Currently, the first workshop titled "Fast Cities" for Eastern and Central Europe is taking place in Vienna, Austria. Zhenya Mayilian, the president of the NGO "Real World, Real People," is participating in this workshop. During the event, updated data concerning our region were presented, emphasizing the most crucial points:
- Our region is among the areas worldwide where new cases of HIV are still increasing.
- The number of individuals with Hepatitis C in our region is 13 million, with only 8% receiving treatment.
- The United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS has set targets of 95/95/95, which our region is far from achieving.
- The United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS has also set targets of 10/10/10, which our region is far from reaching.
- Effective countermeasures are further hindered by wars and epidemics, often leading to setbacks.
Significant attention was dedicated to addressing institutional discrimination, as stigma and discrimination greatly undermine the effectiveness of HIV prevention programs.
Regarding our region, it is worth noting that many individuals are diagnosed with AIDS rather than being identified at earlier stages. Considering this situation, there is a necessity to enhance and strengthen prevention programs in the countries of the region.
Furthermore, the experts discussed the negative impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which continues to hamper efforts to combat the epidemic.
It is important to mention that several speeches were delivered by representatives from various international organizations and NGOs during the seminar.