KULOB, January 15, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- The Kulob-based public association, Soudmand, has launched a program of social maintainability for drug-dependent and HIV-infected persons under financial support of AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW).

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the Soudmand head Tolibjon Saydaliyev said that the social maintainability office had concluded contracts with appropriate medical facilities for treatment of drug-dependent persons and HIV sufferers.  “We will also be engaged in employment of them,” said Saydaliyev, “We have already collected information about vacancies at local enterprises and organizations.”

AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW) is a Dutch, non-governmental, humanitarian, public health organization working in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) to reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS using innovative and proactive approaches and by actively seeking international and regional exchanges.  Together with and for people living with HIV and affected communities, as well as non-governmental and governmental partners, AFEW conducts and supports programs aimed at the prevention of HIV; universal access to treatment, care and support; and advocacy on the most pressing issues to alleviate the burden of the epidemic in the EECA region.