On September 25, “Support to the National Program on HIV/AIDS Prevention in RA” grant will summarize its 6-year activities in Armenia and hand over coordination of activities to Principle Recipients: RA Ministry of Health and “Mission East” International Benevolent Organization.
Armenia was first awarded the grant in 2003. Total of $ 9 million was provided to help strengthen Armenia’s national capacity to respond to the HIV epidemic. During the first round of the grant, World Vision Armenia coordinated 14 grants throughout Armenia.
“Handing over the responsibilities of the Principle Recipient was carried out through a long process of handing over our experience and skills in grant management. In future we are willing to support the new Principle Recipients by sharing with them all the knowledge we gained during the past six years”, says Kamilla Petrosyan, World Vision Armenia, “World Vision Armenia is grateful to its partners, among them CCM and National Centre of AIDS Prevention that supported the implementation of the program”.
World Vision Armenia also assumed the responsibility for purchasing Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for HIV carriers. Currently 152 people are receiving ARV treatment in Armenia.
The grant provided assistance to 29 HIV-positive pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child transmission; only one HIV-positive child was born as a result.
Eleven regional level blood testing laboratories were renovated and equipped to provide high quality blood testing services and to ensure all blood donors in the country are tested for HIV
