November 14-15: Partnership for Child Health
The conference was held at the Moscow Bauman State Technical University The University conducts research in many advanced branches of science, and also focuses closely on prevention of drug abuse and HIV-infection among university students and implements a special programme to promote sports and healthy life styles.
Carel de Rooy, UNICEF Representative in Russia, drew the participants’ attention to another important problem, namely the need to ensure free access to pre-school facilities and schools for HIV-positive children. He pointed out that over the last six years, there were some 30,000 children born to HIV-positive parents who inherited not only the illness but also social stigma. Such children are denied the chance to go to kindergartens and attend schools, being thus deprived of their fundamental right to development and education.
Participants of the round table and the conference voiced their support for the UNICEF approaches to the integration of HIV-infected children in mainstream educational facilities. The conference was initiated jointly by the RF Ministry of Education and Science, Federal Service for Surveillance of Consumers’ Rights and Human Well-Being, the UNICEF and UNESCO Offices in Moscow.
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About 100 volunteers, 250 senior officials and experts dealing with education, including experts from pedagogical colleges in 26 Russian regions attended the conference together with leading media representatives. 
A round table focusing on the same range of issues took place on November 15, ayear to the day since the UNICEF-initiated campaign “Unite for children, Unite against AIDS” was launched in the Russian Federation in cooperation with the RF Ministry of Health and Social Development and the RF Ministry of Education and Science. The Unite Against AIDS initiative launched the All-Russia Media Campaign entitled “I care for every child” supported by Oleg Gazmanov, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and People’s Artist of Russia (