World Bank Support in Fight Against TB&AIDS in Russia

December 1, 2005 - A Tuberculosis and AIDS Control Project, receiving $150 million in World Bank funding, is gaining momentum in Russia.

Designed to support the Federal Targeted Program of Social Disease Prevention and Control for 2002-2005, the project includes a regional dimension to provide lab equipment for AIDS Centers and train regional specialists. Testing kits, help with surveillance and funding for public awareness activities will also be provided. Now that regional needs assessments have been completed, the procurement of initial equipment and goods has begun.

This news comes amidst a sobering update from UNAIDS, reporting that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is continuing its rapid spread throughout the Russian Federation. Tuberculosis, a common killer of HIV-positive people, is also rampant.

The project, which became effective in 2003, will also strengthen the logistic and technical frameworks of selected health facilities in some regions; conduct campaigns to control TB and AIDS; and implement targeted prevention programs for high-risk groups.

Most goods and services procured under the project are funded by the IBRD loan. The Russian Federation provides counterpart funding from the federal budget, primarily, to pay Russian taxes and duties under the project. Thus, the regions and federal institutions will receive equipment and services on a gratuitous basis as the loan is to be repaid by the federal budget.

Altogether, 83 regions (out of Russia’s 88 regions) that expressed interest in the project were selected to implement the AIDS Control Component. No applications were received from the Chukotka Autonomous District, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District, Kostroma Oblast, Moscow, and Evenk Autonomous District.

The regional needs assessments were undertaken by Russian specialists from the Central Epidemiology Research Institute, St-Petersburg Microbiology and Epidemiology Research Institute, Rostov Epidemiology and Parasitology Research Institute, Nizhny Novgorod Epidemiology and Microbiology Research Institute, Ekaterinburg Viral Infections Research Institute, Omsk Viral Infections Research Institute, and the Khabarovsk Epidemiology and Microbiology Research Institute.

The needs assessments were completed in July 2005. This effort made it possible to assess regional needs in terms of goods, services, training and prevention programs. The geography of supplies and the list of needed goods and services for the regions were approved by the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation. Upon assessment of the needs, Project Participation Agreements were drafted and sent to the Administrations of all the regions intending to participate in the project. As of today, such Agreements have already been approved by 70 regions.

Now that need assessments are completed and agreements signed, the procurement process has begun. Lead foreign and Russian companies competed to supply the equipment. In accordance with technical specifications, all equipment will be procured together with basic sets of reagents. Contracts with suppliers have been signed. The delivery of initial equipment will start at the end of 2005 or beginning of 2006.

In 2006, the project will continue to equip regional AIDS Prevention and Control Centers and other participating regional facilities. It will support the development of education and awareness campaigns; train specialists in conformity with newly developed HIV/AIDS regulations; and provide consultations to support project activities in the regions.

Needs assessment data for 83 regions will be available by the end of the year at the following address: www.worldbank.org.ru and will include the following information:

o Situational analysis
o Epidemiologic surveillance data for 2001 - 2003
o Social, economic, and demographic analysis
o Assessment of the health sector and HIV and STIs control facilities
o Human capacity assessment
o HIV/AIDS epidemic control assessment
o Management of the AIDS/STIs control services at the regional level
o Diagnosis and case monitoring, including quality control
o HIV and STIs treatment
o Control over preventive activities
o Political commitment
o Resource gap analysis