Ashgabat, June 23, 2009 – Today, the United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) CAPACITY project, jointly with the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), opened a new “Drop-In” Center for HIV prevention among drug abusers in Ashgabat. 

The new Drop-In Center is based at Health House No. 4 and is an integral part of Ashgabat’s Center for Prevention of Drug Abuse, Alcoholism, and Mental Disorders.  The Drop-In Center will support HIV prevention by providing medical and social services for drug abusers, and conducting educational discussions and consultations.  The center will also offer those counseled the opportunity for a shower, doing laundry, and other basic services.  Drug abusers will also be able to receive referral for medical treatment.  It is the first center for drug abusers in Ashgabat sponsored by USAID through its CAPACITY Project, implemented by JSI Research and Training Institute, a public health research and consulting firm.

The CAPACITY project assists the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan to develop infrastructure for a large-scale response to the global HIV/AIDS pandemic.  It represents a network of organizations working on HIV prevention and one of the many projects that the American people have made possible in Turkmenistan.  Since 1993, USAID has been working in partnership with Turkmenistan to improve health care, promote agriculture, and support community initiatives.

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