VZCZCXRO0310
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTL #0310/01 2550641
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 110641Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY TALLINN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0796
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TALLINN 000310 
 
COPENHAGEN FOR ESTH OFFICE 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID KHIV TBIO EN
SUBJECT: Estonia:  Red light on HIV prevention in 
schools 
 
REF: A)07 TALLINN 729 
     B)08 TALLINN 10 
 
¶1. Summary:  Estonia's Ministry of Education has 
resisted pressure to continue funding HIV education 
courses previously implemented under Estonia's Global 
Fund program. As a result, few schools have provided 
any HIV-related courses in 2008. Slowing economic 
growth and a tight budget could result in a decrease 
in GOE spending on HIV programs in 2009.  Post is 
actively engaged with policy makers, members of 
parliament and the NGO sector to keep HIV on the GOE 
agenda.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) In September 2007 Estonia graduated from the 
UN Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS Tuberculosis and 
Malaria (GF) program (REF A).  The GF had spent $10 
million over four years on HIV programs in Estonia. 
One of the six key objectives under Global Fund was 
HIV prevention work with Estonian youth.  Over the 
course of the program, more than 88,000 students 
attended special HIV prevention course in schools, 
27,000 youth participated in peer-to-peer HIV courses 
and GF trainers distributed more than 200,000 condoms 
and 100,000 information booklets. 
 
¶3. (SBU) When the GF program ended in September 2007, 
the Government of Estonia (GOE) committed to continue 
funding all GF activities.  Under Estonian law, the 
Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA) was given 
responsibility for overall coordination of HIV-related 
activities.  All other ministries involved in the 
fight with HIV/AIDS - including the Ministry of 
Defense (MOD) the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and the 
Ministry of Education and Research (MOER) - were 
tasked with securing adequate resources to continue 
funding HIV programs.  All ministries met this 
obligation in 2008 except the MOER, which did not 
obtain funds for HIV-specific school programs and 
discontinued cooperation with the NGOs that had 
provided training in schools under the GF program.  As 
a result, very few schools have provided any HIV 
prevention courses for their students in 2008. 
 
¶4. (SBU) In December 2007, the Embassy hosted a 
briefing for members of the diplomatic community on 
the status of Estonia's HIV/AIDS epidemic and GOE 
prevention/treatment programs. (REF B) At the 
briefing, the MOER outlined the Ministry's ongoing 
efforts to develop a new comprehensive curriculum for 
Estonian schools that would include HIV specific 
health education.  In May, MOER's Deputy 
Undersecretary told us the ministry hoped to launch 
the new curriculum in 2010. However, MOER has been 
working on developing this new curriculum since 2000 
(when the HIV epidemic started in Estonia.)  In our 
estimate, it is unlikely MOER will be ready to launch 
the new curriculum before the end of 2010 - leaving at 
least a three year gap in which Estonian school 
children do not receive vital information on HIV/AIDS. 
 MOER also has not been able to respond to questions 
regarding when and how teachers will be trained in the 
new materials.  This means implementation of the 
curriculum will likely take even longer. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Over the course of the last 10 months, in 
addition to meetings at MOER, Pol/Econ Chief and ESTH 
Specialist have met with representatives of MOSA, the 
Parliament's Social Affairs Committee, the World 
Health Organization (WHO), diplomats from other 
Embassies and the NGO Community to discuss our 
concerns regarding HIV education in Estonia. At all of 
the meetings, except with MOER, our interlocutors 
echoed concerns regarding the gap in HIV prevention 
education programs.  The GOE's own HIV coordinating 
committee has discussed the issue and urged the MOER 
to address it on several occasions. (Note: The 
committee includes representatives from the GOE, NGOs, 
WHO and the parliament and reports directly to the 
cabinet on a biannual basis. End Note.)  On July 29 
the Minister of Education and Research finally 
allocated $140,000 for peer-to-peer programs in the 
schools.  MOER will use the NGOs that worked 
previously with the GF Program to implement these 
courses. While this is certainly a positive step, it 
will only affect a fraction of Estonia's school 
children. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Comment: During the Global Fund Program, 
 
TALLINN 00000310  002 OF 002 
 
 
Estonia regularly received praise for its 
implementation efforts and the high level of 
engagement of the third sector (NGOs) in implementing 
HIV programs.  However, we are concerned now that the 
GOE is having trouble fulfilling the commitments it 
took when the GF ended its program in Estonia. 
Estonian economic growth has slowed significantly this 
year and ministries will face significant budget cuts 
this fall.  We believe MOER's lack of follow-through 
on funding HIV programs is already setting a bad 
precedent.  Other ministries including the MOJ (which 
provides HIV courses in prisons) and the MOD (HIV 
courses for recruits) are also considering some 
reduction in the size of their HIV programs. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment cont.  Estonia has the highest HIV 
growth rate in Europe and health issues are a key 
component of our Mission Strategic Plan goal of 
promoting economic growth and development in Estonia. 
 Post will continue its efforts to engage policy- 
makers at all levels on the importance of funding HIV 
programs.  In September, Pol/Econ Chief will publish 
an OpEd in Estonia's widest circulation Estonian- and 
Russian-language newspapers highlighting the 
importance of education programs in HIV prevention. 
In October, six Estonian HIV experts will participate 
in Voluntary Visitor program (VolVis) focused on HIV 
case management. Post has also received approval for 
one of the key officials involved in drafting 
Estonia's new school curriculum to participate in an 
FY09 International Visitor Leadership Program focused 
on HIV education. 
 
Phillips