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Regular Training for Outreach Service Providers

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As part of HIV prevention programs implemented by New Generation Humanitarian NGO (NGNGO), outreach service providers regularly undergo training sessions to refresh and enhance their knowledge, develop their skills, and improve the effectiveness of their services.

On February 5, 2024, the latest training session was conducted by the professional team of the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID) under the Ministry of Health of Armenia, involving both new and experienced outreach service providers. The session began with an opening speech of Artyom Movsesyan, Healthcare Coordinator at NGNGO, who presented the results of past work and emphasized the importance of continuous service improvement based on those outcomes and lessons learnt.

During the training, participants were introduced to the following topics:

  • HIV/AIDS situation in Armenia (Arusik Petrosyan, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, MoH NCID)
  • HIV transmission routes and prevention methods (Siranush Martoyan, Epidemiologist, MoH NCID)
  • HIV prevention, pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP & PEP), ART principles, and viral hepatitis (Hermine Hovakimyan, Head of the Ambulatory Clinic, MoH NCID)
  • Tuberculosis counseling and prevention methods (Astghik Davidyan, Infectious Disease Specialist, MoH NCID)
  • General awareness of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (Emil Mirzoyan, Dermatovenereologist, National Center for Burns and Dermatology, MoH)
  • HIV counseling principles and outreach skills (Marine Asryan, Program Manager for Russian Assistance Programs, MoH NCID)

The training concluded with a practical session on HIV self-testing, where participants practiced test procedures, result interpretation, and counseling techniques. This session was led by Tamara Hovsepyan, Head of Laboratory Diagnostic Services at MoH NCID.

It is important to note that beneficiaries of HIV prevention programs have the opportunity to be tested not only for HIV but also for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and receive relevant  counseling and treatment.

This training session marked another step toward delivering more effective and professional outreach services, contributing to the improvement of public health.

At the end of the training, participants were awarded with certificates of completion.

The Project on Implementation of HIV Prevention Activities Among MSM and FSW is funded by the Ministry of Health of Armenia and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, in collaboration with the National Center for Infectious Diseases CJSC.