Head of RRC Resource Center Technical Support Group on HIV and TB Anna Illarionovna Zagainova was awarded with Russian Red Cross Medal of Honor personally by Lukutsova Raisa Timofeevna, Head of Russian Red Cross.

Anna Zagainova started her work at RRC Irkutsk regional branch as the instructor of sanitation and recreation and school departments. During the difficult years of “perestroika” she organized and headed the department of humanitarian assistance for people. From 1997 to 2001 she worked as the head of RRC Irkutsk regional branch. After that during two years she was the principal of Russian Red Cross East-Siberia zone office.

Anna Illarionovna is a high level professional, efficient organizer, leader and tutor who managed to create a good functioning team that contributed to the development of RRC Irkutsk regional branch resources and promoted dissemination of best practices among Russian Red Cross branches.

Anna Zagainova is not only a leader but the author of many methodological materials on HIV-infection prevention and volunteers’ training. She is a talented developer of trainer’s programs on HIV-infection, management, project planning and monitoring, knowledge management, etc. A.I.Zagainova is also an unrivalled trainer in all the listed above directions who is needed not only in Russia but in all Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies of the post-Soviet space.

For many times she represented Russian Red Cross at different all-russian and international conferences and symposiums on HIV-infection and other healthcare directions, made presentations and reports.

Thanks to selfless work of A.I.Zagainova and her colleagues at RRC Irkutsk regional branch, RRC Resource Center Technical Support Group on HIV and TB was created and works successfully. Today this group is the base of RRC program activity on healthcare.

We congratulate Anna Illarionovna Zagainova with this high award and wish her further success in strengthening educational and methodological capacity of the Russian Red Cross.