Article | Winter 2006-2007
New Central Asia HIV Center (CAHC) Established in Kazakhstan
HIV/AIDS is the world's most devastating and complex health pandemic. Presently, 40 million people are living with HIV worldwide, and each year an additional 4.6 million are newly infected. Over the past five years, the number of HIV/AIDS cases has steadily increased in Central Asia largely due to injecting drug use. While the epidemic is still in the early stages, targeted effective strategies are needed to halt the potential of an explosive spread of HIV in this region.
ISERP will support the establishment of the new Central Asia HIV Center (CAHC) in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The center's mission is to develop the research infrastructure and strengthen the capacity of academic institutions and investigators in Central Asia to conduct rigorous behavioral and social science research that will inform effective prevention, treatment, and care of HIV/AIDS and other global health problems. Building on the Social Intervention Group (SIG)'s HIV prevention research and the School of Social Work's well established academic exchange programs in Central Asia, the Center will create crosscutting partnerships across the government, the NGO sector, and academic institutions. Such partnerships will be well positioned to develop culturally congruent, scientifically based solutions. The Center will be comprised of four cores-Research, Training, Community Collaboration, and Translation of Research to Practice-that will work together to carry out key strategic priorities. CAHC will be led by the SIG at the School of Social Work in collaboration with the Paul F. Lazarsfeld Center for the Social Sciences at ISERP.
