Ashgabat, 12 February 2009 — The National AIDS Center has received 500,000 male condoms which have been procured by UNFPA Turkmenistan in 2008.  UNFPA supports the Ministry of Health and Medical Industries of Turkmenistan in implementation of the National Strategy on Reproductive Health and National Programme on HIV/AIDS/STI Prevention.   Among many activities, UNFPA promotes integration of the prevention of HIV infection with reproductive health, including family planning services; strengthening capacities of the health care service providers; distributing male condoms. 

As part of the 2008 procurement plan, UNFPA Turkmenistan procured condoms on the total amount of $18,355 to cover the needs of the country.  Through UNFPA condom programming, condoms are available to the general population.  They are distributed through the health facilities or during outreach and information campaigns.  Condoms are also made available during consultations and HIV-testing, particularly, to the risk groups, including drug users and commercial sex workers. During outreach work, the AIDS centers also provide consultations on correct use of condoms. They train sex workers to learn negotiate use of condom with clients.

Condom programming is one of the UNFPA mandate in HIV/AIDS prevention. It is one of the means to combating HIV/AIDS (Millennium Development Goal 6).  Condoms have helped reducing HIV infection rates in countries where AIDS has already taken hold. It has also helped limiting the spread of HIV in settings where the epidemic is still concentrated in specific populations or is not spread at all.  Turkmenistan is the only country in the region with the low prevalence of HIV.

UNFPA Turkmenistan will continue providing support in 2009 to the Ministry of Health and Medical Industries of Turkmenistan in procurement of male condoms.  Successful implementation of condom programming will ensure sustainability of national HIV/AIDS prevention system and contribute to the country’s achievement of Millennium Development Goal on combating HIV/AIDS.

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UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.   UNFPA -- because everyone counts.

For more information, please contact:

- Jennet Shihmuradova,

Advocacy, Youth and Gender Project Associate;

- Lale Chopanova,

Reproductive Health Programme Associate;

Tel:(+993 12) 425250;

Fax:(+993 12) 425337;

WEB: http://turkmenistan.unfpa.org, www.untuk.org;