The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Stop TB Partnership, and the Middle East and North Africa Harm Reduction Association (MENAHRA) conducted a regional workshop to support countries in the Middle East and North Africa under the theme “Strengthening Civil Society and Community Engagement in Global Fund Country Dialogue and Concept Note Development in the Middle East.”

The workshop took place from 16 to 18 December 2014 at the Gefinor Rotana Hotel in Beirut, Lebanon. The workshop was attended by fifty-five participants, who are active in the parameters of the objectives representing the following countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Cameroon, Djibouti, Egypt, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, Switzerland, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

The main objective of this workshop was to strengthen the capacity of civil society in order to actively participate in country dialogues in the development of project proposals on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in the region for 2015.

In the closing session of the workshop, the MENAHRA Executive Director, Mr. Elie Aaraj, stated that this meeting gave an opportunity to Regional Networks for building their capacities and increasing their knowledge. HIV/AIDS teaches us democracy and diversity. This meeting has been an opportunity to increase awareness for human rights.

Mr. Aaraj also added that what MENARHA and RANAA have been working on has been creating a new democracy in the field of HIV/AIDS. Both networks work on a regional level to ensure comprehensive coverage of services to the whole community and especially to key populations and people living with HIV.