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Central Asian Republics Social Marketing Program
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Program
Focus: |
HIV |
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Target
Regions: |
Kazakhstan: Almaty
Uzbekistan: Tashkent, Ferghana Valley, Samarkand
Tajikistan: Khujand, Dushanbe, Khorog
Kyrgyzstan: Bishkek, Osh
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Target
Population: |
At-risk youth, injecting drug users,
and drug using sex workers (DU-SWs) |
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| 2006 Estimated Health Impact: |
Unintended pregnancies averted: 12,800
(explained)
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| Products: |
Favorite condoms in Kazakhstan since 2002 and in
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan since 2003
Targeted Behavior Change Communications (BCC) since 2002
Youth Power Centers in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
since 2005
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Local
Collaboration: |
PSI/Central Asia collaborates with governmental and non-governmental
organizations, the Ministries of Health and
Education, the Republican, Oblast and City AIDS Centers; the
Republican Narcological Centers; varying United Nations funds;
AIDS Foundation East West; Abt Associates; and the U.S. Centers
for Disease
Control
and Prevention (CDC).
National NGO partners include:
• Master Radosti, Rainbow Center, Podruga, Sotsium, Partnerskaya
Set, Reproductive Health Alliance Kyrgyzstan, Tais Plus, and
Oasis in Kyrgyzstan
• Shapagat, Kredo, Women's Business Association in Kazakhstan
• Social Initiatives Support Fund (SISF), Istiqbolli Avlod, Ishonch
va Hayot, Soglum Avlod Uchun Fund, the Women’s Committee, Kamolot,
and World Vision in Uzbekistan. • NGOs Nasli Navras, ASTI, Pamir
Contemporary Youth, AntiAIDS, DINA, RAN, Most, and Volunteer
in Tajikistan
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Current
Donors: |
Alliance for Open Society International (AOSI)
John Snow International (JSI) Research and Training Institute
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
World Bank/Central Asia AIDS Control Project
Asian Development Bank
UNICEF |
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| Year Program Began: |
2002 |
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Project Activities and Highlights
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HIV/AIDS
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Capacity Building
PSI/Central Asia is a partner implementing the Central Asia
Program on AIDS Control and Intervention Targeting Youth and High-Risk
Groups (CAPACITY); educating those most vulnerable to HIV and sexually
transmitted infections (STIs) on the dangers of injecting drugs,
and risky sexual activity. |
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•PSI provides targeted BCC through:
Outreach to reach sex workers to reduce sexual risk behavior for HIV and
sexually transmitted infections while motivating sex workers to utilize
HIV prevention services.
•Peer Educators to reach youth at-risk of sexual or injecting drug-use behavior
with HIV prevention education.
•Youth Centers to provide at-risk youth access to HIV prevention services
and healthy alternatives to drug use.
PSI’s behavior change modules have been adopted as the standard by the Ministry
of Health in Kazakhstan and many national governmental and non-governmental
organizations have been trained on the PSI model. |
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PSI’s behavior change
modules have been adopted as the standard by the Ministry of Health
in Kazakhstan and many national governmental
and non-governmental organizations have been trained on the PSI
model. |
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Social Marketing
PSI/Central Asia uses commercial marketing techniques to build
informed demand among high-risk groups for high quality condoms.
Favorite condoms have been marketed to vulnerable groups since
2002. In addition to working with commercial distribution and wholesale
partners to provide those most at risk of HIV with access to high
quality, affordable condoms, PSI builds knowledge of those groups
so they may distinguish high-quality condoms such as Favorite from
alternatives in Central Asian markets that fail to provide the
highest rates of protection. High risk groups are trained for correct
and consistent condom use are also trained to evaluate the packaging,
expiration date, and product for flaws. |
| • |
Drug Demand Reduction Program (DDRP)
PSI/Central Asia is a partner implementing the DDRP, educating
at-risk youth, sex workers, drug-using sex workers, and drug users
on the risks of drug use, especially
as it relates to risk of HIV transmission. The HIV epidemic is
largely driven by injecting drug use, and by preventing initiation
of drug
use among young people and vulnerable
groups while also motivating current drug users to utilize drug
addiction treatment services, this program is a key component
in Central Asian governments’ programs to address HIV transmission.
PSI implements a range of behavior change activities with an array
of risk groups including: |
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•A regional network of Youth Power Centers in high-risk communities
where heroin is readily available;
•Peer education outreach to at-risk youth;
•Mass media campaigns to facilitate more open discussion of drug
use and HIV/AIDS;
•While targeting at-risk youth, PSI is simultaneously working
with IDUs who may play a role in initiating youth drug use, to
discourage their involvement in injecting initiation. This “Break
the Cycle” program, first pioneered in the United Kingdom, is
paired with Youth Power Centers in a totally unique new model
for reducing drug use and susceptibility to HIV/AIDS.
•Outreach targeting sex workers and drug-using sex workers to
reduce their sexual and drug-use risk behavior while motivating
protective behavior such as utilizing essential HIV prevention
services.
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back to top
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Approximately 8,000 youths attended PSI's first launch in the
Central Asian Republics, enjoying 20 bands in four hours in Almaty,
Kazakhstan's historic city square, while learning about safer
sex and Favorite condoms.
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