The World Health Organization (WHO) convened the twenty-third inter- country meeting of regional national AIDS program managers in Beirut from 27 to 29 October 2015.
The meeting was attended by national AIDS program managers, stakeholders, UN organizations, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, people living with HIV , civil society including MENAHRA, RANAA, ALCS and other experts in the field.
The objectives of the meeting were to: review efforts in scaling-up the HIV response; share experiences of implementing new approaches and guidelines; introduce new WHO consolidated guidelines on HIV and discuss the draft WHO Global health strategy on HIV and STIs for 2016-2021.
The three days meeting reflected the need for a continuous serious work to curb the epidemic in the region and increase the access of services for the key population. New approaches were introduced and discussed to reach this target. Challenges and suggested solutions were presented by the NAP and the participants. MENAHRA Network Coordinator Mrs. Micheline Abou Chrouch stressed on “the need to increase the advocacy with the governments and lobbying for the key populations needs to access the services and for more integration of HIV,STIs and Harm Reduction approaches in health services, which is wished to be supported by the WHO regional office and facilitated by the NAP managers within their countries”.
Dr Mahjour, the Director of Program Management, joined the meeting and stressed on the need for more coverage, he thanked all the participants for the effort being done in the region, stating that “We need to think about more innovative approaches and to work out of the Box in order to increase the percentage of coverage in the region, we have to put the problems on the table in order to think how to solve them”.
The meeting ended with an announcement of the theme of the World Aids Day 2015:”Treatment for all people living with HIV” which should be translated into action, stressing on the continuum of care for HIV testing and care (for more information on the WAD you may check the WHO website in the upcoming days: www.who.int ), and the meeting ended with the NAP manager of Morocco, Dr Aziza Bennani, announcing the upcoming STIs Conference dates which will take place in Marrakech between 9-12 May, 2016, noting that abstract submission is currently open.
