Category: 2022

President of the United Nations General Assembly Abdulla Shahid speaks at the U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., July 18, 2022. (REUTERS Photo)

Armenian health authorities adopt policy of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2022-2030 strategy

 11:03, 28 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenia adopted a policy of eliminating viral hepatitis under the 2022-2030 strategy, the Ministry of Healthcare said.

The goal is to drastically decrease prevalence by 2030 with integrating patient care and treatment services.

Since 2020 patients with chronic viral Hepatitis C are provided with free anti-viral drugs. To ensure the continuity of the program, the treatment regulations with new drugs has recently been approved.

517 patients received treatment for Hepatitis C in Armenia in 2022.

Since 1999, vaccinations against Hepatitis B are carried out in Armenia, thanks to which acute Hepatitis B cases are not recorded among children below the age of 14.

Viral hepatitis remains a main cause of death worldwide, with more than 1,000,000 people dying from the disease every year.

There is no vaccine against Hepatitis C yet.

Common modes of transmission for these viruses include receipt of contaminated blood or blood products, invasive medical procedures using contaminated equipment and for hepatitis B transmission from mother to baby at birth, from family member to child, and also by sexual contact.

Early diagnosis of viral hepatitis is highly important for treatment, therefore regular testing is advised because the disease can have an asymptomatic course.

Free, anonymous testing is regularly organized in Yerevan and other cities.

 11:32, 28 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS. The government approved an affordable mortgage program for more than 500 military servicemen.

The Deputy Minister of Defense Arman Sargsyan said at the Cabinet meeting that all registered servicemembers in 2022 will be granted the privilege.

Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan said the government will subsidize the 10% of the principal amount of the mortgage loans and 3% of the interest rate.

“1018 servicemen applied for this program in 2022 and 492 were granted the certificates by priority and draws. After adopting this decision, the remaining 526 servicemen will also be granted the required certificate for the loans. All registered servicemen will have the chance to benefit from this important program which improves social guarantees,” Matevosyan said.

The ceremony of transferring the personal belongings was held in the Armenian Embassy in Moscow on July 27.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Armenian Ministry of Defense, the Russian Foreign Ministry, staffers of the Moscow Victory Museum, the Russian Central Military Museum, the K.E. Voroshilov Officer’s Home of the Samara Garrison, diplomats and embassy staffers.

Armenian Ambassador to Russia Vagharshak Harutyunyan thanked Dmitry Khmelyov, stressing the importance of preserving the memory of renowned figures and heroes of the Armenian and Russian nations. Ambassador Harutyunyan also spoke about Admiral Isakov’s career during the Great Patriotic War and his activities in the post-war era.

Major-General Armen Lalayan, the military attaché of the Armenian Embassy also delivered remarks, followed by Dmitry Khmelyov, retired Vice Admiral, scientist Ashot Sarkisov of the and Russian Defense Ministry representative Captain Valery Lapin.

The personal belongings include photographs, congratulatory telegrams from three-time Hero of USSR title recipient Semyon Budyonny, two-time Hero of USSR title recipient Hovhannes Baghramyan and others. These items were kept in the Samara Garrison Museum.

 12:15, 28 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS. Chairman of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF) Mourad Papazian says he is launching legal proceedings in order to restore his right to enter Armenia.

“I’ve decided to restore my right in the legal framework, and for that I have entrusted my court defense to Member of Parliament Artsvik Minasyan to represent me, and attorney Siranush Sahakyan, whom I authorize to handle the necessary actions,” Papazian said on social media.

He said that Minasyan has already filed a letter to the National Security Service on July 25 requesting a revision of the ban.

“By law, the NSS has 5 days to issue an answer, and based on that we will decide how to proceed,” Papazian added.

Papazian denied the Armenian authorities’ accusations that he organized the 2021 demonstration against PM Nikol Pashinyan’s motorcade in Paris.

On July 22, the Department of Information and Public Relations of the Prime Minister’s Office said that Papazian, the Chairman of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF), a citizen of France, was barred from entering Armenia pursuant to law because he was among those who “organized the attack” on the official motorcade of the Armenian PM’s delegation in France earlier in June, 2021.

 12:19, 28 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS. The Cabinet approved the 2030 Education Development Program bill.

The last time an education development program was adopted was in 2011, and it is imperative to stipulate the conceptual provisions of human capital development – recognized as a priority by the government – in the document, according to Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Artur Martirosyan.

“…financial means directed to education aren’t expenses, but rather necessary investments for the development of the state and the society,” he said. “The center of the program is the person, and revealing the capabilities of the person.”

The final goal of the program is to develop a competitive educational system.

The three strategic directions are defined as: development of a universal inclusive active-learning educational environment across Armenia, increasing effectiveness of education and internationalization and export of education services.

“Not a single child will be left out of the compulsory education system,” Martirosyan said.

The bill will be presented to parliament soon.

 12:36, 28 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS. The Specialized Commission for Constitutional Reforms is now working in Yerevan and other cities as part of various meetings to take note of the issues and outline the solutions, the Minister of Justice Karen Andreasyan told reporters.

“Now the commission is actively working in the provinces and in Yerevan as part of various meetings. 5 members of the commission will collect all issues and solutions and will start presenting it via live broadcast starting September to the Constitutional Reforms Council, to us all,” he said.

Andreasyan did not specify exact timeframes.

 12:40, 28 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS. In Armenia, whenever monkeypox is suspected, testing is conducted, and so far the results of all tests have been negative, Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan told reporters after the Cabinet meeting today.

“We have received monkeypox test kits from the Russian Federation. The results of all tests conducted up to this moment have been negative, no such case has been registered in Armenia”, the minister said, assuring that testing is conducted for all suspected cases.

 12:49, 28 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS. It is expected to create an academic city in Armenia according to the draft law on Approving Education Development State Program 2030.

During the Cabinet meeting today, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Artur Martirosyan introduced the draft and stated that the academic city is going to ensure the expansion of network cooperation between educational institutions, scientific and production organizations, with the presence of modern, virtual, social and physical infrastructure.

“The complex measures are expected to double the current number (around 7600) of foreign students in Armenia”, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan said that the academic city with its nature and physical infrastructure should set a new criteria not only across Armenia, but also should be available for Diaspora-Armenians and foreign students.

 12:59, 28 July 2022

YEREVAN, JULY 28, ARMENPRESS. Increase in COVID-19 cases has been observed in Armenia in the past weeks, the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron is being circulated, Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan told reporters after the Cabinet meeting, adding that if the situation worsens, the government will apply all its tools to handle it.

“We understand that coronavirus is becoming an endemic disease, and there will be outbreaks in different parts of the world from time to time. It’s an active tourism season now, people travel. And of course, the infection should have been penetrated into Armenia for the umpteenth time. In recent weeks, we are registering an increase in coronavirus cases every week. We have the clear plan for expanding the hospital beds, and we should move forward based on the epidemic situation”, she said.

The minister noted that daily monitoring is being conducted, adding that the professional council will make some changes in its guidelines and policy within the course of time. “And we are ready for the expected waves, will see what happens. Now it’s a little bit difficult to predict”, she added.

According to the minister, they won’t return to travel-related restrictions, however, adds that all restrictions depend on the epidemic situation.

“If, God forbid, the epidemic situation worsens, we will, of course, apply all our tools to fight the disease. Ongoing research is always underway. At the moment, BA.5 subvariant of Omicron is being circulated”, she added.