DUSHANBE, February 21, Asia-Plus  -- the Mission of the International Organization fro Migration (IOM) to Tajikistan has completed elaboration of training course on migration and HIV issues for the Regional Training Center for Migration, which is planned to be opened in Dushanbe.

According to the IOM Dushanbe Office, the training course consists of guide for trainers on migration and HIV issues and resource book for trainers on migration and HIV issues.  Besides, to work on preventing spread of HIV among labor migrants 12 differentiate modules on training various specialists – physicians, journalists, employees of NGOs, migration services, community leaders, employees, clerics and, members of their families – have been elaborated.  

This training course is aimed at preventing main factors of vulnerability of migrants and mobile groups of the population and raising awareness level.  It includes coverage of notions linked to migration, legal aspects of migration, the relationship between migration and HIV, HIV as a global problem, etc.  

Specialists from the ministries of health and labor, Republican AIDS-Prevention Center, Tajik Medical University, Ministry of Health (MoH), Institute for Post Diploma Training of Physicians, as well as skilled specialists in development of modules of public associations have participated in elaboration of the training course.  

In March and April 2008, IOM Mission to Tajikistan jointly with Tajikistan’s Republican AIDS-Prevention Center will hold two five-day trainings.  

Over the past decade, Tajikistan has seen a rapid rise in cross border seasonal migration.  The importance of sexually responsible behavior is not widely understood among Tajik migrant workers.  Social disapproval continues to inhibit public and private discussion and therefore the dissemination of accurate information.  People engaging in non-marital sexual relations therefore fail to use methods of contraception and safe sex, increasing the risk of unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. Migrant workers are especially concerned with this issue since STIs and HIV cases are registered among them.

IOM, in cooperation with local NGOs, started an informational campaign on STIs and HIV prevention including training of volunteers, distribution of condoms and booklets, theatre performance and other public events in 2005 already.

Labor migrants from Tajikistan are also faced with other difficulties connected with health questions. The main reasons are the following: undocumented status of Tajik labor migrants; hard and dangerous work; poor housing conditions; scorn; and absence of labor agreement and medical insurance.  The majority of the labor migrants from Tajikistan go to Russia. Irregular legal status of Tajik migrants complicates their integration into the existing national programs of the Health Care system in the Russian Federation.