First Attendees Have Graduated From the Information and Learning Centre for Migrants in Kurgan-Tyube

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The Russian Technical Assistance Programme to fight HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases in Eastern Europe and Central Asia countries

15 June 2016 the Information and learning Centre for migrants in Kurgan –Tyube awarded certificates to 48 attendees. They are the first group that attended short-term special courses on prevention of HIV, TB, STIs and other infectious diseases.

For a month and a half, educators and counsellors of the Centre have run sessions to improve the understanding of migrants on HIV/AIDS prevention, TB and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). Together with these sessions the migrants also learnt Russian, legal aspects, including legal aspects of health care provision in the Russian Federation and basics of computer.

Mikhail Vozhdaev, acting Head of Office of Rossotrudnichestvo in Tajikistan, who also represented the Russian Embassy in the Republic of Tajikistan during the Ceremony, addressed the graduates. He said:

Having understanding of legal aspects you can now go to Russian, stay there and work there without fear. The knowledge of Russian and computer skills will help you to adopt in the accepting community easier and to receive job that is paid better

According to the Office of the IRCRCF in Tajikistan, the Information and learning Centre for migrants in Kurgan-Tyube implements the project “Improving sanitary and legal understanding of labour migrants and prevention of HIV/STIs, viral Hepatitis and TB”. The Centre was set up with support from AIDS Inforshare Foundation and is part of the Russian Technical Assistance Programme to fight HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases in Eastern Europe and Central Asia countries. The project consists of three interconnected components: providing information to labour migrants, motivating attendees of the Centre for voluntary testing and learning courses on legal aspects of migration and receiving medical services in the Russian Federation. The Centre also runs language and computer courses.

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According to the staff of the Centre, before the sessions, every attendee fills out a questionary evaluating knowledge of symptoms and ways of transmission of infectious diseases. At the end of the courses, the attendees perform control tests. 

The results of initial tests show that the level of understanding of HIV among attendees is 25-35%, level of understanding of TB is 32-47% and of STIs is just 15%. Now, after the courses the results of control tests show that the knowledge has improved a lot. Knowledge of HIV – 70-75%, of TB – 80-90% and of STIs – 80-85%. This is a positive message to us as we are sure that understanding of prevention matters among migrants has improved by times, emphasized Ibragim Ainiddinov, counselling trainer on prevention of infectious diseases from the Centre.

Makhmudchon Khorkashev, Head of Oblast Branch of the Ministry of Labour, Migration and Social Protection for Khotlon province of the Republic of Tajikistan addressed the graduates of the Centre. He said:

“I am glad to know that the courses in the Centre provide comprehensive education for potential migrants on such important matters as healthcare, legal aspects and Russian language, thus giving opportunist to those who is going to find job in another country to adopt there easier and to protect himself and his beloved ones from infectious diseases and human trafficking.