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EXPERT GROUP ON HIV/AIDS AND ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS

Background, composition, objectives, activities, documents and members

Background

The spreading of HIV/AIDS and other infections associated with it continues to pose challenges to enhancing social and health conditions within the Northern Dimension Area. As the extent of policies towards HIV/AIDS varies among the Partner Countries, the need to share experiences and expertise in prevention, health education, case management and testing is considerable. The Declaration concerning the establishment of a NDPHS places great emphasis on improving the co-operation and co-ordination in the prevention of communicable diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. From 2004 until mid-2010, activities in this area were fostered by the then Expert Group on HIV/AIDS.

Following the adoption of the NDPHS Strategy, which defines specific goals and linked to them concrete actions, in June 2010 the NDPHS Committee of Senior Representatives reshaped the former Expert Groups and established, inter alia, an Expert Group on HIV/AIDS and Associated Infections (HIV/AIDS&AI EG). The group operates according to its Terms of Reference, and has been tasked to implement the agreed actions until the end of 2013. 

Composition

The HIV/AIDS&AI EG is comprised of high-level experts. These experts come from national ministries and agencies of Partner Countries and Organisations, the research community, NGOs and other relevant parties. The Expert Group’s work is led by the Lead Partner (Finland), supported in discharging its responsibilities by the Co-Lead Partner (Poland). The list of the members of the HIV/AIDS&AI EG is provided further down.

All eligible stakeholders are welcome to provide input to the HIV/AIDS&AI EG’s current and future activities. External experts are also invited to participate in the group’s meetings, as appropriate.

Role and objectives

The main role of the HIV/AIDS&AI EG is to act as the focal point for national inputs from the Partner Countries and Organisations on issues concerning HIV/AIDS and associated infections. The Expert Group’s focus is on surveillance, awareness-raising and policy development, as well as treatment and prevention. The Group works towards containment of the spread of HIV/AIDS and associated infections and, in accordance with the NDPHS Strategy, aims to contribute to the achievement of the two following goals: (i) improved prevention of HIV/AIDS and related diseases, and (ii) integration of social and health care services for HIV- infected individuals. Within these strategic goals, the responsibilities of the HIV/AIDS&AI EG include, but are not limited to the following:

• Working towards the inclusion of policies that emphasize HIV/AIDS and associated infections as a priority issue on political agendas and contributing to the development of national policies that respond to the needs and requirements of the Partner Countries;
• Supporting coordinated and collaborative efforts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and associated infections in the Northern Dimension area through maintaining and enhancing expert-level collaboration;
• Promoting the principles and objectives of the Partnership in the field of HIV/AIDS and developing partnerships with a wide variety of stakeholders to ensure that the Partnership achieves maximum results;
• In collaboration with suitable implementing agencies, formulating and developing ideas for project proposals, facilitating the project application, and if funding is available, follow up on their implementation;
• Supporting efforts to provide technical and other forms of assistance to partners in planning, implementing and monitoring programs to scale up HIV/AIDS treatment, care and prevention and to mitigate the harms induced by associated infections such as tuberculosis and viral hepatitides.
  

Activities

The Expert Group's activities follow the priorities set out in the NDPHS Strategy and are being implemented in accordance with the NDPHS Work Plan for 2013.

Presently, the Group's activities include:

• Regular reviewing of HIV epidemic and the risk factors in the Partner Countries and promoting initiatives that aim to help the countries to meet the challenges in line with the strategic goals of the group;
• Supporting the implementation of ongoing NDPHS projects that have been established within the NDPHS and facilitating new projects;

• Reviewing and evaluating national AIDS policies and epidemiological situations in Partner Countries;
• Developing and supporting regional networks involved in prevention activities, in enhancing intersectoral collaboration and in providing adequate services for vulnerable groups according to the strategy adopted by WHO;
• Involving new partners and engaging the European Commission and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in possible forms of collaboration.
   

Meetings

The HIV/AIDS&AI EG holds on average 2 meetings per year. Specific information about forthcoming and past meetings, including meeting documents and minutes can be accessed on the Expert Group meetings web page.

Documents and minutes of the formerly operating HIV/AIDS Expert group can be accessed here.

Calendar

Progress reports

Every year the NDPHS Expert Groups prepare progress reports. These reports are prepared within the framework of the NDPHS annual reporting mechanism and are submitted to every autumn CSR meeting and/or PAC event. They take stock of achievements made, describe enabling factors, strengths, obstacles and constraints regarding the Group’s work, and also present various recommendations to the CSR and/or PAC (read also about NDPHS reporting to the European Commission on the progress in the implementation of the EUSBSR Action Plan priority subarea on health).

The progress reports of the former HIV/AIDS EG are available as annexes to the NDPHS annual Progress Reports.

Further information 

We plan to develop information sheets about the newly established Expert Groups and Task Groups during the 2010/2011 winter season. In the meantime you may read two fact sheets developed by the former HIV/AIDS EG, one of them presenting basic information about that Expert Group's mission, action areas and activities (fact sheet 4/2008) and the other one presenting key findings of the Expert Group's thematic report (fact sheet 5/2008).

Visit also the NDPHS Database, which provides a growing number of papers (publications, newsletters, etc.) and projects, dealing with HIV/AIDS and associated infections issues. It also provides a pool of organisations and experts, which have been working in the area of HIV/AIDS and associated infections. The database contains four sections. By clicking the links below, you will gain direct access to HIV/AIDS and associated infections activities and expertise in the NDPHS Database, sorted by:

• Papers
• Projects   
• Organisations
• Persons
  

Please note that you can also submit your own information on HIV/AIDS activities to the database (read more).

Members

Chairperson

Mr. Ali Arsalo
Kevi Consulting Pvt Ltd
Kuusijärventie 116
FI-99510 Raudanjoki
Finland
Phone: +358 505376265
E-mail: ali.arsalo@kevicon.fi

Vice-Chairperson

Ms. Anna Marzec-Bogusławska
Director, National AIDS Centre
ul. Samsonowska 1
02-829 Warszawa
Phone: +48 22 331 77 55
Fax: +48 22 331 77 76
E-mail: a.marzec@centrum.aids.gov.pl

International Technical Advisor

Ms. Outi Karvonen
National Institute for Health and Welfare
P.O. Box 30
FI-00271 Helsinki
Phone: +358 29 524 7046
E-mail: outi.karvonen@thl.fi

Finland

Alternate(s)

Ms. Kristiina Salovaara
Finnish Lung Health Association FILHA
Sibeliuksenkatu 11A1
FI-00250 Helsinki
Phone: + 358 9 45421283
Fax: + 358 9 45421210
E-mail: kristiina.salovaara@filha.fi

Mr. Mika Salminen
Virology Unit
National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)
P.O.Box 30
FI-00271 Helsinki
Phone: +358 29 524 8454
E-mail: mika.salminen@thl.fi

Germany

Mr Ulrich Marcus
Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Robert Koch Institute
DGZ-Ring 1
13086 Berlin
Phone: +49 30 187543467
Fax: +49 30 187543533
E-mail: marcusu@rki.de

Latvia

Ms. Agnese Freimane
Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
Duntes Str. 22
LV-1005 Riga
Phone: +371 67387610
E-mail: agnese.freimane@spkc.gov.lv

Alternate(s)

Ms Ilze Straume
Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
Duntes Street 22
LV-1005 Riga
Phone: +371 6738 7683
E-mail: ilze.straume@spkc.gov.lv

Lithuania

Mr. Saulius Čaplinskas
Centre for Communicable Diseases and AIDS
Nugalėtojų str. 14D
LT-10105 Vilnius
Phone: +370 5 230 0125
Fax: +370 5 260 0123
E-mail: saulius@ulac.lt

Alternate(s)

Ms. Loreta Ašoklienė
Ministry of Health
Vilnius str. 33
LT-01506 Vilnius
Phone: +370 5 219 3346
Fax: +370 5 266 1402
E-mail: loreta.asokliene@sam.lt

Ms. Irma Čaplinskienė
Centre for Communicable Diseases and AIDS
Nugalėtojų str. 14D
LT-10105 Vilnius
Phone: +370 5 230 0125
Fax: +370 5 276 7968
E-mail: irma@ulac.lt

Norway

Mr. Hans Blystad
Dep. of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Postbox 4404 Nydalen
N-0403 Oslo
Phone: +47 21076404
Fax: +47 21076513
E-mail: hans.blystad@fhi.no

Poland

Ms. Anna Marzec-Bogusławska
National AIDS Centre
Samsonowska 1 Str.
PL-02-829 Warsaw
Phone: +48 22 331 77 55
Fax: +48 22 331 77 76
E-mail: secretariat@aids.gov.pl

Alternate(s)

Ms. Grażyna Cholewińska
The Regional Hospital of Infectious Diseases
Wolska 37 Str.
PL-01 - 201 Warsaw
Phone: +48 22 335 52 68
Fax: +48 22 335 52 04
E-mail: cholegra@zakazny.pl

Sweden

Mr. Torsten Berglund
Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control
Unit for Coordination of HIV and STI Prevention
SE-171 82 Solna, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 457 37 64
E-mail: torsten.berglund@smi.se

Russia

Ms. Galina Chistyakova
MoH&SD of Russia
Phone: +7 4956284051
E-mail: ChistyakovaGG@rosminzdrav.ru

Alternate(s)

Ms. Elena Stepanova
Center for AIDS and communicable diseases prevention
Saint Petersburg
Bumazhnaya st. 12
Phone: + 7 812 786-35-55
E-mail: evs.55@mail.ru

Ms. Tatyana Vinogradova
Center for AIDS and communicable diseases prevention
Saint Petersburg
Piskarevsky pr. 52-304
Phone: +7 911 811 10 11
E-mail: Vino75@mail.ru

World Health Organization

Mr. Martin Donoghoe
WHO Regional Office for Europe
Scherfigsvej 8
DK-2100 Copenhagen
Phone: +45 39171207
E-mail: donoghoem@who.int