29.09.2018

Joint Meeting of the Steering Committees for Barents TB and HIV Programmes

On September 11, 2018 Joint Meeting of the Steering Committees for Barents TB and HIV Programmes was held in Syktyvkar.

The meeting was attended by representatives of:

- Norway: Zaza Tsereteli, senior Advisor, Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services, Program coordinator for the Barents TB programme; Janicke Fischer, senior Advisor, The Norwegian Directorate for Health; Karin Ronning, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Senior Medical Officer; Einar Heldal, MD, Senior Medical Officer, Norwegian Institute of Public Health; Berthe Stenberg, senior Advisor, LHL International.

- Finland: Henrikki Brummer-Korvenkontio, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Senior Researcher, Mikko Vauhkonen, Fihla (Finnish Lung Health Association), Project Planner; Dmitry Titkov, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), International Affairs and Research Support Office, Barents HIV Programme coordinator.

- Russia: Evgeniya Kotova, First Deputy Minister of Health of the KomiRepublic; Natalya Tsang, Ministry of Health of the Komi Republic, Head of the Department for Coordination of Ministry Activities; Sergey Vodopyanov, Komi Republic TB Dispensary, Head Doctor; Snezhana Toinova, Komi Republic TB Dispensary, Deputy Head Doctor; Sergey Pogan, Komi Republic AIDS and Infectious DiseasesCenter, Head Doctor; Maryandyshev Andrey, MD, Professor, Chief TB Expert for North-West Russia; Elena Popova, Arkhangelsk In-Patient Dermatovenerologic Dispensary, Deputy Head Doctor, Head of the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Center; Presnova Svetlana, Murmansk TB Dispensary, Head Doctor; Tatyana Gorbovaya, Murmansk Regional Center for Specialized Medical Aid, Deputy Head Doctor for Clinical Care, Chief HIV Prevention Expert of the Ministry of Health of Murmansk Region ; Kononenko Julia, Karelia Republic TB Dispensary, Head Doctor; Nina Nizovtseva , Easy Breathing Charity Fund, Arkhangelsk, Chairperson; Alexandra Avdeeva, Easy Breathing Charity Fund, Manager-interpreter.

The joint meeting of the steering committees of Barents TB and HIV programmes featured presentations on TB, HIV and TB/HIV situation in North-West Russia and Russia as a whole. Issues on implementation of programme activities, various options, forms and areas of cooperation in the field of TB and HIV in the Barents region in the future were discussed. Both steering committees agreed that combining the two programmes would be appropriate way to go. In the framework of future cooperation it is important to maintain a balance between the issues concerning HIV infection and issues related to tuberculosis.

Both steering committees are aware that the implementation of the activities under the joint TB and HIV Programme is not possible without full support from the partner countries and regions, including human resources and financial support.