In 2025, a new three-year regional project “#iSoS: Empowering and Innovations” was launched with a budget of $5.5 million. The project aims to strengthen healthcare systems in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) to combat HIV and related challenges.

The project is a collaborative consortium of partner organizations led by the Alliance for Public Health, with financial support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The consortium includes organizations such as CO “100% Life”, the Central Asian Association of People Living with HIV (CAAPL), SEE RCN, the WHO Regional Office for Europe, EHRA, ECOM, SEH, ENPUD, the Regional Expert Group on Migrant Health, and ECECACD. These partners combine their regional networks and expertise to effectively address the HIV/AIDS-related challenges in the region.

The EECA region remains off track in its response to the HIV epidemic and is one of only three regions globally where the annual number of new HIV infections continues to rise. This trend is primarily driven by insufficient coverage of prevention programs among key populations, including people who inject drugs and MSM. Critical gaps include limited access to opioid agonist therapy (OAT), which remains either unavailable, underfunded, or of poor quality, and minimal uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Additionally, low HIV testing and antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage further compound the crisis, with only 59% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) aware of their status and just 50% receiving ART. Punitive legal frameworks also pose significant barriers: seven countries in the region criminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use, while aggressive policing, stigma, and discrimination against key populations are pervasive. Moreover, the lack of domestic investment in the HIV response has left a 54% funding gap to meet the 2025 target. Multiple overlapping crises continue to challenge the region’s fragile AIDS response. These critical gaps were prioritised when designing the interventions outlined in the program.

The #iSoS project focuses on creating resilient and effective healthcare systems for addressing HIV in four countries: Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, and Tajikistan, as well as SEE subregion. The project’s objectives are to enhance HIV prevention coverage among key populations, eliminate human rights barriers to HIV services, and strengthen healthcare systems to ensure sustainable epidemic control.

KEY PROJECT GOALS:

  1. Increase Access to HIV Prevention Services Among Key Populations:
    The project aims to diversify and expand PrEP delivery by strengthening community-based, pharmacy-based, and online service models. Community-led monitoring (CLM) will help improve service quality, and the introduction of innovative approaches, such as long-acting injectable PrEP (LA PrEP), is expected to boost PrEP coverage by 20% during the project period.
  2. Remove Human Rights-Related Barriers to HIV Services:
    The project will enhance access to harm reduction services, particularly opioid agonist therapy (OAT), through advocacy, legal reforms, and high-level political engagement. This includes submitting shadow reports to EU and UN bodies and working with the EECA Drug Policy Commission to advance drug policy reforms. Key efforts also focus on monitoring human rights violations affecting LGBT people and people who inject drugs, strategic litigation, and improving the legal environment for key populations. Additional activities include developing remote service registration for migrants, integrating gender-sensitive approaches, and providing legal support and crisis impact assessments to guide risk reduction during emergencies.
  3. Strengthen Healthcare Systems and Attract Sustainable Investments:
    The project advocates for increased national funding for HIV programs, particularly in the SEE region, emphasizing the cost-effectiveness of early intervention. NGOs will receive technical support to develop sustainable funding strategies, while Moldova and Tajikistan will work on integrating HIV and TB services into health insurance plans. A health systems resilience framework, including cybersecurity, will be implemented in Moldova, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Georgia.
    To enhance efficiency, the project will introduce seven digital solutions to improve data collection, decision-making, and access to services, ensuring better health outcomes across the region.

Andreas Tamberg,
Portfolio Manager at the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria,  emphasized the uniqueness and potential of the project: “The regional #iSoS grant leverages the region’s expertise and resources to achieve results where national programs alone fall short. This collaboration enables countries to effectively implement best practices and solutions, as well as maximize the use of limited resources.”

Andriy Klepikov,
Executive Director of the Alliance for Public Health, emphasised the vital importance of partnerships: “This project is the result of unprecedented partnership in EECA: of leading regional and national communities, governmental structures, technical agencies, and civil society at both regional and national levels. This is a vast richness of EECA expertise, that, by working collaboratively and integrating new technologies, creates healthcare solutions that are both innovative and sustainable.”

Sergii Filippovych,
Director of the iSoS Regional Project, highlighted the importance of innovations: “Building resilient healthcare systems in the EECA region requires innovative solutions. Digitalisation is central to our approach, helping expand outreach, improve service delivery, and reduce costs. Key innovations include the DHIS2 database system and TWIIN, an AI-based digital social worker available 24/7 at twiin.aph.org.ua. Accessible from any device, TWIIN offers expert guidance on HIV, tuberculosis, addictions, and mental health. By integrating tools like DHIS2 and TWIIN, we aim to enhance the efficiency, accessibility, and sustainability of healthcare services, strengthening their resilience to future crises.”

Dr. Viatcheslav Grankov,
WHO Regional Office for Europe, highlighted the importance of innovation in HIV prevention: “The top priority for WHO in the #iSoS project is technical support to national and regional partners in further scaling-up and de-medicalizing HIV PrEP, including through the introduction of innovative delivery models and preparation for delivering long-acting injectable PrEP. We live in a rapidly changing world of HIV prevention, and I think a single annual preventive injection can become a reality very soon! In the meantime, jointly with project partners, we need to make sure that WHO-recommended PrEP options provide real choice for those who can benefit from them.”

Damir Lalicic,
Partnerships in Health, provided additional context on the project’s goals: “Our focus for the next three years is on expanding access to HIV prevention, particularly PrEP, strengthening community-led monitoring, and ensuring sustainable domestic funding for HIV services. We are committed to removing human rights barriers, enhancing legal assistance, and integrating digital solutions for service delivery. Through strategic advocacy, partnerships, and evidence-based approaches, we aim to improve the HIV care cascade and reinforce the long-term sustainability of national HIV responses across the EECA region.”

Kateryna Ryzhkova-Siebielieva,
Social Equation Hub (SEH), outlined the project’s initiatives in strengthening healthcare systems: “Over the next three years, SEH will focus on strengthening health systems in the EECA region. We will integrate key services for HIV and tuberculosis treatment into standard insurance packages in Moldova and Tajikistan, as well as enhance the healthcare system in Moldova’s penitentiary facilities. Additionally, we will expand mental health support in Moldova, Tajikistan, and Georgia. Our efforts will also be directed towards implementing robust business continuity strategies using modern cybersecurity measures, ensuring the protection of healthcare infrastructure and the delivery of high-quality, effective HIV and tuberculosis treatment services throughout the region.”

Ganna Dovbakh,
Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA), shared her perspective on the importance of human rights and community involvement: “Despite the extremely challenging times for human rights, community-based organizations, and the HIV and HCV response for key populations, we remain resilient and united. The launch of this new stage of our regional joint project, even with limited funding, is a testament to our determination. For EHRA, this initiative is particularly important as it addresses the alarming trends of criminalization of key populations and the shrinking space for civil society. While the budget is limited, moving forward with this project amid a severe funding crisis is a crucial sign of hope and solidarity.”

 

Stela Bivol,
WHO Regional Office for Europe: “In these times of permacrisis and never ending challenges in the WHO European region, the continued Global Fund’s support to EECA regional priorities is a lifeline. This important support will catalyse uptake of WHO recommended HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and testing approaches and make available critical strategic information. This will ensure that key populations programs are front and center in regional ending AIDS efforts.” 

 

Daniel Kashnitsky,
Regional Expert Group for Migration and Health for Eurasia: “By integrating migrant-sensitive care into the broader paradigm of person-centered care, we can better address their specific challenges and ensure equitable access to quality health services based on trust. Today no European country is doing a good work to integrate migrants into the healthcare system and we all need to improve. Within the #iSoS project we will strive to develop new transnational solutions for international migrants in Georgia, Moldova and Kazakhstan to make HIV services accessible for people living with HIV among migrants. Migrants’ lives matter.”

The iSoS project is a bold step towards building a resilient and innovative healthcare system in the EECA region, focusing on digitalization, healthcare accessibility, and human rights. The project’s unique approach to cross-country collaboration is poised to make a meaningful impact on the fight against HIV while ensuring sustainable outcomes for the region’s most vulnerable populations.

Official web-page: https://isos.aph.org.ua

CONTACT: Project Director: Sergii Filippovych, filippovych@aph.org.ua