Recent Events

2005 Report on AIDS, West Kazakhstan. Professional Associates

Late October also saw much time given to the AIDS related work. Part of this was in preparation for a second exhibition of posters related to AIDS prevention, in collaboration with the Regional AIDS centre. The exhibition was held for two weeks at the start of December with students being invited by the AIDS centres schools worker.

Frequently groups of 30 or more students were in the exhibition hall, with occassionally more. This exhibition included some work by local art students, as well as new and old posters from the EAA Global Competition. It was noticed by several that the atmosphere of these local posters was darker, less hopeful than those from EAA.

Nevertheless, it is planned to hold a further exhibition with more local posters, but hopefully ones that will reflect the input of the EAA light. This May exhibition might also include memorial quilts from Moscow and other locations if we find some.

There was preparation in October for the EACS conference in Dublin in November (preparing a poster preparation and a translation of a colleagues). Branch director D. Marsh accompanied the deputy principal doctor (zam. glav vrach) of the oblast AIDS centre to this conference. This conference was valuable for an insight into the world of AIDS research, for new knowledge of current ARV treatment, contacts with several Russian AIDS centre staff, researchers, and resources in English and Russian. Some of this knowledge has already been passed on by the doctor to her colleagues responsible for overseeing the treatment of patients.

September/October 2005
New English classes were started for career personnel and organizations in Astana. A new group began each week of September and October. Students from the National Oil and Gas company continued their English training.

May 2005
The Oblast AIDS centre in conjunction with Professional Associates, West Kazakhstan, and with some financial support from the akimats Association of Youth Organizations, used this resource to print 38 A3 posters which gave an opportunity to consider such topics as the ways HIV is transmitted and not transmitted, stigma
and discrimination, positive attitudes to those
infected with HIV, what ways can people help,
and whether there are any grounds for hope in
the face of AIDS.

The exhibition was held in the citys
exhibition hall from 10th to the 20th May 2005
to coincide with the Day of remembrance of those who have died of AIDS.


May 2005
130 English students completed training in Astana, Kazakhstan.

October 2004
AIDS/Mental Health Survey Team is preparing a pilot training for AIDS prevention for industrial workers in Northern and Western Kazakhstan. Abstinence training for students of schools and universities will also be included.

The purpose of the team is to survey the needs of the AIDS community and to provide training. Additionally the teams will continue to work on establishing a drug/alcohol rehab center in Northern Kazakhstan in the Karaganda Region of Timmertau.

June 25 to Aug 6
A team of English teachers and conversational partners taught Summer Conversational English classes in Northern Kazakhstan.

May 15-27, 2004
Doctors for Life, South Africa conducted a survey on AIDS in several Kazakhstan cities and met with key health leaders in Almaty, Karaganda, and Astana. The team is partnering with Professional Associates Kazakhstan in a pilot project to provide abstinence based training for industrial workers in 2 cities.


January 2004
We are currently working to place orphans in homes and to provide sponsor for those orphans.

Karaganda. Phillip Morris and the International Mother Child Fund are continuing the project to support 50 HIV infected mothers by providing food and medical care to the mothers and their children. Twelve babies were born to these mothers and are HIV free.

December 2003
Astana. Twenty medical doctors completed English training at the Republican Hospital.

November 2003
Karaganda. Dr Phillip Spottswood presented a report on HIV/AIDS at the International Health Conference sponsored by the Karaganda Medical Academy.

Uralsk. The Ministry of Health has requested assistance in preventing the spread of AIDS through transient oil field workers in Western Kazakhstan. An abstinence based training program is being developed in conjunction with Doctors for Life, South Africa.

June 2003
In cooperation with Stop Hunger Now and Phillip Morris, our team conducted a year long feeding program for 160 indigent pensioners and 44 AIDS mothers of small children in Karaganda and Oral, Kazakhstan.

May 2003
Over 80 Students graduated in our multi-level Conversational English program.

May 2002
Professional Associates Surgical Team repaired cleft palates on 47 children in cooperation with the Presidential Hospital in Astana, the International Mother Child Fund, Stop Hunger Now, and Phillip Morris. The Akimat (Mayor's Office) issued certificates of appreciation for the work completed on behalf of the children.

The medical team met with 119 patients.