AIDS Foundation East West

As of 1 January 2009,  4 996 individuals were registered as living with HIV in the Republic of Moldova, although experts in the region estimate that more than 10 000 individuals may already be HIV positive in the country. Increasingly, HIV is transmitted through unsafe heterosexual contact in Moldova. Ensuring that individuals (particularly young people, given that they are disproportionately affected) have accurate and complete information on how best to prevent HIV is key to halting the spread of the virus.

As such, AFEW together with its partner ‘Dance4Life’ initiated activities in Moldova as a part of the larger global Dance4Life campaign under the HIV/AIDS Campaign for Youth in the Republic of Moldova project. AFEW’s activities were aimed at decreasing the incidence of HIV among young people by linking them with youth from other countries and by distributing information on the prevention of HIV and the promotion of safer sex behaviours.

As a part of this project, AFEW specifically focused on the following activities:

• Seeking the involvement and support of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education of Moldova;
• Selecting and training a group of peer trainers from non-governmental organisations and schools in Chisinau to assist in the implementation of further campaign activities;
• Developing and printing informational materials, such as brochures, posters, leaflets and pocket calendars, to provide HIV prevention messages specifically targeting youth in Moldova;
• Conducting 100 presentations in Chisinau schools and carrying out four social events, including youth competitions and concerts to promote and spread the campaign messages.

All of these activities contributed to increasing the awareness among Moldovan youth of HIV prevention and their sense of responsibility for their own sexual health, as well as increasing awareness within Moldovan society regarding HIV.

As a part of this project, AFEW successfully held a Dance4Life event in November 2007—the first ever Dance4Life event held in Moldova.  

As a result of the project:

• 3 176 young people from 100 Chisinau schools were reached by ‘Heart Connection Tours’ conducted by a team of peer trainers. Using interactive presentations and film, volunteers taught students the ‘Dance4Life Drill’, discussed HIV prevention and tolerance towards HIV-positive people, informed young people about opportunities to become involved in the ‘Dance4Life’ project and encouraged them to become ‘agents of change’;  
• More than 200 ‘agents of change’ (that is, young people who were willing to take part in HIV prevention activities) were registered during the project;
• 170 000 copies of brochures on HIV and AIDS were distributed, as well as 24 500 promotional Dance4Life brochures.