CCM Meeting on 9th September 2008

State Secretary Mr. Mircea Manuc- Ministry of Health- CCM President

Special Guest: Mr. Andreas Tamberg- Fund Portfolio Manager, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Global Funding to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Report on Implementation Progress of GFATM HIV/AIDS and TB Grants- Round 2

Report on Implementation Progress of GFATM HIV/AIDS and TB Grants- Round 6

1. M. Andreas Tamberg- Fund Portfolio Manager, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Global Funding to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is introduced to CCM Members by Mr. Iulian Petre. He makes a brief presentation of the progresses made lately by Romania within Global Funding on HIV/AIDS and TB Prevention Programs and launches an invitation for them to participate to the next Regional Meeting, to be held in Montenegro.
2. Dr. Mioara Predescu suggests that every meeting should host at least one SR activity report about GF programs so as to ensure that all CCM members are informed about the entire implementation process.    

Angela Achitei president of “Close to You” Foundation delivers an activity report which can be found on GF Romanian website and on Romanian HIV/AIDS Centre’s internet page- www.hivromania.ro

CCM President M. Mircea Manuc appreciates the activity of “Close to You” Foundation and recommends the initiation of more programs on social integration of HIV positive young persons and of education activities destined to Rroma ethnic persons in penitentiaries.

RHRN President Paul Simionov specifies that this type of program already exists, still in an incipient phase, aiming at trainers’ education for multiple communication sessions with Rroma prisoners in penitentiaries.

UNAIDS Representative M. Eduard Petrescu emphasises the importance of involvement in many activities of PLWHA group as well as the collaboration of various local NGOs’ with those from the neighbouring countries. A very important matter is the sustainability of GF programs once this one ends its implementation activities in Romania.

ARAS President Mrs. Maria Georgescu points out the importance of vocational programs for HIV positive persons which should be sustained and deployed by all NGOs’ as well as parents’ association having UNOPA and CCM as working frame, which will facilitate as well the access and the application to structural funds.

CCM President M. Mircea Manuc brings to the participant’s attention the fact that as of 2009 all NGOs activities will be sustained by Romanian Ministry of Health.

SNSPMS Representative Mrs. Carmen Angheluta raises the issue of school integration of YPLWHA, enumerating several situations where they were rejected from taking admissions exams in private and public academic institutions.

UNOPA Representative M. Iulian Petre remembers that refuse of declaring one’s HIV status is an old problem precisely out of fear of discrimination and emphasises the illegitimacy of such an attitude towards any sort of admission candidate.

3. CCM President M. Mircea Manuc invites PR Round 2 Representatives to present their activity report.

PMU-MO Representative Mrs. Antoanela Poenaru mentions that for Round 2 HIV activities close-out procedure may begin after all additional programs have ended.  

The report is available on GF Romanian website and on www.hivromania.ro

While for TB programs there are some finances left, for HIV all funds were disbursed.

In M. Manuc’s opinion money for close-out procedures should have been given from the beginning of the program.

UNAIDS Representative M. Eduard Petrescu reminds that at the beginning of the programs there were no clear methodologies for close-out sessions, therefore money couldn’t have been distributed and he also proposes that Round 2 additional activities to be taken over by Round 6 programmes, with support from CCM Secretariat.

As M. Mircea Manuc has to leave the meeting M. Iulian Petre (UNOPA) will preside it.

Following the TB activities presentations Prof. Constantin Marica (“Marius Nasta” Pneumology Institute) thanks GF for its economic support in TB area and lets CCM members know that at a recent TB Balkans meeting Romania was congratulated for the achieved progress in this field.

4. CCM Vice-president M. Iulian Petre (UNOPA) invites PR Round 6 to present the activity report.

The presentation is also available on the aforementioned websites.

CCM Secretary Dr. Mioara Predescu announces that monitoring visits approach and that each organization must name the persons, who will take part in the process, considering the predilection for certain programs and the activity deployed by NGOs. The participants are kindly asked to e-mail their representative naming. The final organization of the monitoring groups will be made by CCM Secretariat.

RAA Representative Fidelie Kalambayi will offer all CCM members the monitoring visits procedures as well as ways of applying to structural funds.

CCM Secretary Dr. Mioara Predescu talks about the lack of funding for the following year. These funds have been requested to Ministry of Health but this one didn’t honour the request, despite the fact that IEC activities for 2009 have no longer external support. Still some money is available to celebrate World HIV/AIDS day as well as some HIV/AIDS sessions at the annual medical event organized by “Matei Bals” Institute. All members are kindly asked to send informational materials to be distributed on this occasion.

ANP Representative Mrs. Lucia Mihailescu announces that she won’t be able to take part in the monitoring visits process as she has to assess all penitentiaries across the country regarding GF Programs in Penitentiaries for Rounds 2 and 6 and that all those interested are welcome to join her.

“Close to You” Foundation President Mrs. Angela Achitei suggests CCM be officially recognised as this procedure would facilitate the application to structural funds.

UNODC Representative Mrs. Catalina Iliuta reminds the participants about the request forwarded by Ministry of Health regarding the budget situations of all NGOs which must be sent by September 15, 2008, in order to accommodate GF programs after its withdrawal.

ARAS President Mrs. Maria Georgescu proposes to establish a partnership between Round 6 PR and MO in order to have access to structural funds.

SECS President Borbala Koo expresses her discontent for the low participation rate at CCM meetings and the lack of interest for the CCM of its President. Therefore she proposes that the presence at these meetings become mandatory. Regarding the MO coordination of NGOs activities she claims it would not be a good idea as it will slow down the process of money distribution and it would accentuate the already present tendency of bureaucracy. The best solution for programs’ continuity is the application to structural funds.

CPSS Representative Dana Farcasanu outlines the weak flow of information regarding the close-out procedures and proposes that before each CCM meeting the participants have a clear list of discussions and a few working groups that would tackle different issues to be raised during the respective meeting. According to Mrs. Farcasanu CCM should be more voiced and it could also become a partner of National Programmes Agency.  She also launches an invitation to join the TB Summer School which will take place at “Marius Nasta” Pneumology Institute. The event covers education sessions in the area of family practice, information strategies and of press conferences.

CCM Secretary Dr. Mioara Predescu advises all CCM members to send information every time such events are about to happen.

“Close to You” Foundation President Mrs. Angela Achitei proposes the reintegration of ADV in CCM structures as two years before, this one was excluded without having been given an explanation. CCM Vice-president Mr. Iulian Petre requests that ADV sends a written reintegration solicitation, containing all the necessary details so that all members are updated regarding this particular problem and thus to be able to take a fair decision.

Several CCM Members (Borbala Koo, Dana Farcasanu) suggest the creation of a working group which should deal with structural funds application and which would further presented them to CCM President Mr. Mircea Manuc.

CCM Vice-President Iulian Petre replies that Round 6 already has elaborated proposals which could be delivered to the responsible authorities for analysis and funding.

ARAS President Mrs. Maria Georgescu speaks as well about the small number of participants to have remained at the meeting till its very end and states that once Round 2 ends the programs may suffer as the local authorities may very easily loose interest in the area. That would be a pity as these activities are of national interest. She also mentions the HIV/AIDS strategy, which aims at the decentralization of HIV/AIDS therapy, to which no actor in the filed really consents. A very important element is the introduction in the pharmacy network of rapid HIV tests as a way of achieving a more global view of the HIV phenomenon in Romania.

CCM Vice-president Mr. Iulian Petre informs the audience that UNOPA has already forwarded a complaint against the manner of HIV/AIDS therapy decentralisation but that Health Ministry, Mr. Eugen Nicolaescu didn’t take it into account. Therefore Mr. Petre suggests that the present meeting report to be sent to both State Secretary and CCM President- Mr Mircea Manuc as to Health Ministry- Mr. Eugen Nicolaescu.

The meeting is declared closed by CCM Vice-president Mr. Iulian Petre.