UNAIDS Country Coordinator, AusAID and Sida Officials Visit North East Regional Office

Dr. Charles Gilks, UNAIDS India Country Coordinator, travelled to Guwahati, Assam along with Mr. Mark Dominic Bailey and Mr. Gopi Menon from Australian International Development Agency (AusAID) and Mr. Claes Erik Leijon and Ms. Yasmin Zaveri from Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) on June 29, 2009. The delegation had a set of highly interactive discussion sessions with officials from NACO’S North East Regional Office and Assam State AIDS Control Society, to get a better understanding of the ground situation as regards the epidemic. They also held meetings with representatives from Assam Network of Positive People and community based groups of sexual minorities.

AusAID and Sida are both extremely valuable partners who also provide major funding support for the joint UN programme on HIV and AIDS in the North-East.

The team is also visiting the state of Nagaland and Manipur from July 1 to 3, 2009.