Policy Working Meeting, February 19-21, Riga, Latvia
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10.02.2011

In 2009, WHO together with UNODC organised a country visit to undertake an evaluation of access to HIV/AIDS treatment and care in Latvia, with civil society participation on behalf of EATG. The report revealed severe shortcomings as to HIV/AIDS treatment symptomatic for the Baltic region.
We also recognize that together with Estonia, Latvia carries one of the highest disease burdens in Europe as far as HIV, HCV and related diseases are concerned.
The resulting report issued very specific recommendations, for example to:
· Seek to obtain lower ARV prices;
· Take steps towards more equitable access to ART, particularly among IDUs, by scaling-up methadone maintenance treatment in the community and prisons;
· Promote greater integration of services, in particular in health care and social services to focus on TB, HIV and drugs services.
The objective of the public part of the EATG Policy Working Group meeting is to:
· Learn from local community organisations and invited experts on what has happened in Latvia since 2009 to address issues identified in the WHO UNODC report;
· Take stock of the current access to ARV, co-infection treatments and drug policy in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and possible role for the EATG work in 2011-2012;
· Identify cross-cutting policy issues as to access to HIV/AIDS treatment and care in the Baltic states;
· Facilitate networking within the HIV community (local community organisations, the EATG, the EU HIV/AIDS Civil Society Forum);
· Facilitate cooperation between the HIV community, local authorities and other relevant institutions to improve universal access in the Baltic region (community representatives from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Ministry of Health representatives, Ministry of Interior representatives, WHO Latvian office, WHO EURO, UNODC representatives);
· Support activists in Latvia and other Baltic states in their advocacy work for better access to treatment for people living with HIV and/or HCV in community settings and prisons;
· Assessing the process and progress in these areas over the last two years;
· Setting plans and identifying the role of the EATG and other partners for 2011-2012;
· Strategise as to how local community organisations, EATG and other relevant networks could join forces to improve the situation in the region by working nationally and at European level.