HIV/AIDS prevention and care among injecting drug users and in prison settings in Romania

 

Since 1994-1995 Romania has been experiencing a steady increase in the HIV incidence rate among adults, mainly related to transmission of the virus via unsafe sexual activities and injecting drug use. There are around 101,000 injecting drug users in Romania. In response to this situation, the project aims to increase coverage of comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention and care services among injecting drug users and in selected prison settings in Romania by rapidly increasing access to services for injecting drug users and inmates, ensuring sustainability of HIV/AIDS prevention and care services for these communities and by generating and sharing strategic information to keep the programme on track and to respond appropriately to the rapidly evolving HIV/AIDS epidemics among injecting drug users and in prison settings in Romania.

UNODC, with an established field based execution mechanism in South Eastern Europe, will act as the executing agency in close collaboration with the UN Theme Group and UN Country Team on AIDS. A project team will be established to implement this project, comprising of a National Project Officer, with proven experience in project management and knowledge of UNODC operational procedures and a Project Assistant with appropriate administrative and office management experience. A project office will be established in Bucharest.The project will follow a three-pronged strategy, consisting of a mix of capacity building and direct financial and technical assistance for service delivery, advocacy and coordination among different players, including relevant UNAIDS cosponsors, for the achievement of its objectives.