Yerevan's commemoration of World AIDS Day

1. SUMMARY: Per reftels, Yerevan participated in
several activities focused on raising AIDS awareness in
Armenia, including an online chat, the launching of a
website and an information seminar on the facts about
HIV/AIDS. END SUMMARY.



2. On December 1, Ambassador Ordway kicked off an
online chat and AIDS awareness seminar at an ECA-funded
Armenian School Connectivity Program internet computer
center. The online session linked forty students and
their health education teachers in nine regions with
experts from UNDP, World Vision and local NGOs.
Ambassador Ordway sent a message highlighting the
importance of knowing the facts about HIV/AIDS and
education's power as a tool to fight the spread of the
disease. The experts then took over for an hour-long
question and answer session. Ambassador Ordway also
took questions from media present about US policies and
initiatives in the global fight on AIDS. Seven
television stations included his comments and footage
from the chat during their prime-time newscasts.



3. PAS attended a presentation of the launch of an
informational website about HIV/AIDS hosted through the
ECA-funded Internet Access and Training Program. IREX,
the project implementer, invited members of the NGO and
international donor community along with local health
officials to attend, listen to a presentation by a
local AIDS awareness youth NGO and participate in a
roundtable discussion on the HIV/AIDS situation in
Armenia.



4. PAS attended an AIDS awareness seminar for
Community Connections alumni hosted at the ECA-funded
Educational Information Center. The APAO opened the
session with a few comments on the importance of
understanding that AIDS can happen to anyone and that
while Armenia has not suffered from a high rate of HIV
infection, only widespread education about AIDS/HIV
prevention will keep it that way. A guest speaker from
the National AIDS Prevention Center introduced
materials and resources developed by the center. A
Peace Corps Health Volunteer discussed HIV/AIDS-related
projects and activities in Armenia.



5. PAS also translated Secretary Powell's World AIDS
Day message into Armenian and distributed it among the
media. His message was covered by most television
stations, posted by Arminfo news agency in full and
published in two major dailies, Hayastani Hanrapetutiun
and AYB-FE, in part.

ORDWAY