As of August 1, 2021, there are 10,807 registered people living with HIV in Kyrgyzstan. Along with other UN members, the country supports and implements the “Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS: On the Fast-Track to Accelerate the Fight against HIV and to End the AIDS Epidemic by 2030”: the sate, confirming its commitment and readiness to implement its goals and objectives, approved the Program of the Government of the Republic to overcome the HIV epidemic. However, its completion is nearing and Kyrgyzstan is starting to develop a new Strategy.

On September 28, in Bishkek, a High-level meeting was held on the topic: “Progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS and the national response to eliminate all forms of stigma and discrimination in relation to HIV-infection.” Participants, including representatives of the government, civil society, international organizations and medical structures, had the opportunity to get acquainted in detail not only with the results of recent years on the country’s achievements in the fight against HIV, but also to get the most detailed analysis of the situation in the context of the COVID pandemic. As Sanzharbek Isaev, Head of the Department of Health and Social Development of the Government Office of Kyrgyzstan, noted at the opening of the event: “The overall goal of the meeting is a global one… It is the elimination of stigma and discrimination in relation to key populations and the achievement of indicators 95-95-95. I want to note that our country is always open to dialogue and supports international initiatives in the field of strengthening human and public health. With each new Program, we try to increase the amount of government funding for HIV-related activities. So, despite the pandemic, not a single citizen living with HIV was left in quarantine without medicine or treatment.”

Alexander Goliusov, UNAIDS Regional Director, also supported him: “Years of experience in combating HIV infection have shown the devastating consequences of stigma and discrimination, both on individuals and entire communities, and on the effectiveness of the health system. One of the most important and complex issues in this area is being discussed – the issue of decriminalizing drug policy. We are well aware that this work is not easy. UNAIDS stands ready to provide a full support to these efforts. I hope that today’s meeting will give a new impetus to the development of partnerships, the promotion of modern, effective, scientifically and practically proven approaches to eliminating all forms of stigma and discrimination, which is a key moment in achieving our common goal of ending the epidemic by 2030”.

International experience and progressive practices show that the refusal of detention of people who use drugs in favor of their treatment not only saves the budget, but also reduces the level of infection with HIV, hepatitis, and tuberculosis. During her speech, Tetiana Deshko, Director of the Department of International Programs, Alliance for Public Health, presented data from The Economist’s 2021 study on the approaches and costs of drug control programs in a number of EECA countries (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation) and advanced ways to reform and optimize it. “According to the received information, in Kyrgyzstan, 46% of people who use drugs have been held in penitentiary institutions at some point in their lives. Every year, millions of euros are spent from the national budget for the maintenance of such prisoners,” stressed Ms. Deshko. “Reducing the detention of people who use drugs but who are not involved in the distribution and are a subject to treatment – a total of 24.8% of sentences under ‘narcotic’ articles – will save € 1.9 million from the state budget annually, which enough for OST programs for 30% of PWUD and treatment for 81% of HIV-positive PWUD. As a result, HIV in this group will decrease by almost 70%. In fact, the HIV epidemic can be stopped without additional funds, only by properly reallocating available resources.”

The block of international practices was summarized by Dr. Jakob Huber, Senior Partner Licit, using the example of the basic principles of drug policy in Switzerland. According to him, the learning process in the country began in the 1980s and continues to this day. At one point, the society was faced with the realization that criminalization and repression only led to the marginalization of people who use drugs, and that medical and social services did not reach 95% of the PWUD community. The result is Switzerland’s 4-pillar drug strategy, which includes drug trafficking suppression, prevention, therapy and harm reduction for ordinary people who use drugs. As a result, to date, the number of AIDS-related deaths among people who inject drugs has decreased in the country by 90%, as well as the number of newly infected (-90%), drug-related crime has dropped by 70%, and the number opioid addicts decreased by 30%.

Summing up the results of this meeting, Andriy Klepikov, Director of the Alliance for Public Health, noted the indisputable achievements of Kyrgyzstan and presented three regional #InYourPower awards at once: to the Presidential Administration, the Ministry of Health and the AIDS Center. Through the efforts of a number of initiatives, a lot has already been achieved – to reduce prices for ART, develop social order at the national and city levels, and launch important innovations. And the new national Strategy should reflect and continue the path chosen by the state.

Below you can find the speakers’ presentations (in Russian):

• Alexander Goliusov, Director, Regional Support Group for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, UNAIDS “Progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS and the national response to eliminate all forms of HIV-related stigma and discrimination“
• Umutkan Zhusupovna Chokmorova, Director of the AIDS Center “Progress in the implementation of HIV activities in the Kyrgyz Republic and the development of a new national HIV program“
• Alexandra Volgina, GNP + & SOS project “Implementation of Global Partnership“
• Aybar Sultangaziev, Partnership Network Association “A survey among nongovernmental organizations and community representatives within the framework of the Global Partnership for Action to Eliminate All Forms of HIV-related Stigma and Discrimination“
• Tetiana Deshko, Alliance for Public Health, “Ways of reforming drug policy in EECA and Kyrgyzstan“
• Jakob Huber, Senior Partner Licit “Strategic and drug policy principles in Switzerland“
• Ilimbek Sadykov, Soros Foundation-Kyrgyzstan “Component of the fight against stigma and discrimination as part of the new national program to stabilize the HIV epidemic in 2022-2026.“
• Aibek Bekbolotov, Deputy Director of the AIDS Center, “Interdepartmental Plan to Overcome Legal Barriers Related to HIV“

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The meeting will be organized by Association “Partner Network” with the supported by the project “Sustainability of services for key groups in the regions of Eastern Europe and Central Asia” (#SoS_project).

SoS_project: The implementation of the three-year project coordinated by the Alliance for Public Health, in a consortium with the 100% Life (All-Ukrainian Network of PLWH), the Central Asian HIV’ Association and the Eurasian Key Populations Health Network, with the participation of national governmental and non-governmental organizations, regional key populations networks , international agencies and organizations, as well as technical partners, with financial support  The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

HIV is a common problem and mutual responsibility, where every victory is the result of painstaking and well-coordinated work of countries and civil society in the fight against the epidemic. Heads of government, mayors, officials and opinion leaders play a key role in this process at the national level. It is their decisions that determine what the country chooses on the way to overcome barriers and sustainability of services for key populations.

On September 27, a round table “Accelerating the response to the HIV / AIDS epidemic in Osh city” was held in Kyrgyzstan. Despite the challenging conditions in the COVID-19 pandemic, the city’s achievements in the fight against HIV over the past two years are impressive: in 2019, Osh city signed the Paris Declaration on HIV and the Zero TB Declaration. At the same time, the city Fast Track working group was created with the participation of representatives of the mayor’s office, NGOs and key groups to develop the 90-90-90 program and a year later, the city program on HIV in the context of COVID-19 for 2021-2022 was approved. As part of its implementation, over 4,000 people were tested at mobile points on the city streets, ART and food were delivered to their homes for representatives of the community of people living with HIV (PLHIV), incl. migrants to Russia, Turkey and other countries. With the support of the mayor’s office, voluntary counseling and HIV testing became possible in all hospitals in Osh city, a set of trainings and information campaigns were carried out in six local territorial offices. And for the first time, funds (USD 13,000) were allocated from the city budget for HIV and TB programs in 2019-2021. The city has already presented its achievements in 2019 at the Fast-Track Cities international conference in London and during a visit to the Mayor of Bern in June this year. And now it’s time to share them with the participants of the roundtable organized in their hometown.

It is not surprising that such a commitment and the work of local authorities did not go unnoticed by the society and invited guests, including representatives of departments, international and non-governmental organizations in the field of harm reduction and the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and social disintegration. Andriy Klepikov, Executive Director of the Alliance for Public Health, during his speech presented the #InYourPower regional award to the city of Osh city, represented by Vice Mayor Venera Ryskulova. “Not every city receives the #InYourPower award. Osh received today! This “like” is a recognition of what has been done: the signing of the Paris Declaration was followed by a municipal HIV program and its funding,” said Mr. Klepikov.

The roundtable participants were able to discuss further priorities for the city’s work in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The main recommendations for the provision of services included the completion of sentinel surveillance to determine the estimated number of PLHIV at the city level, the approval of a new municipal HIV program starting in 2023, an increase in funding for programs from the local budget and testing of key groups, including migrants and the extremely poor people living in slums, providing social support for difficult patients, expanding rapid testing for COVID-19, and developing and implementing joint programs between the Ministry of Health and the Mayor’s office.

Alliance for Public Health and the #SoS_project Team sincerely congratulates Osh city on the regional award and wishes them success in the consolidated and sustainable work in a fight against HIV! We also thank Aybar Sultangaziev and the team of the Association “Partner Network”, Ravshan Mazhitov and the team of the Plus Center fund for fruitful cooperation.

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The roundtable was organized by Association “Partner Network” with the support of the Alliance for Public Health and the regional project “Sustainability of services for key populations in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region” (#SoS_project).

SoS_project: The implementation of the three-year project coordinated by the Alliance for Public Health, in a consortium with the 100% Life (All-Ukrainian Network of PLWH), the Central Asian HIV’ Association and the Eurasian Key Populations Health Network, with the participation of national governmental and non-governmental organizations, regional key populations networks , international agencies and organizations, as well as technical partners, with financial support  The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

On September 28, 2021, a high-level meeting “Progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS and the national response to eliminate all forms of HIV-related stigma and discrimination” will be held in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan).

As of August 1, 2021, 10,807 people living with HIV were registered in the country. 4842 people are getting antiretroviral therapy.

State bodies of the Kyrgyz Republic, confirmed their commitment and readiness to implement the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS and achieve the 95-95-95 goal as well as approved an interdepartmental plan to overcome legal barriers related to HIV/AIDS.

The Government’s HIV Program is also coming to an end, and the country is starting to develop a new national strategy. The Program is expected to include substantive sections aimed at eliminating HIV-related stigma and discrimination. Strengthening these measures is necessary due to the fact that, despite the taken steps, it remains a serious challenge and barrier in the provision of services for PLHIV and other key populations. For example, in the electronic system for documenting offenses ReACT for the first half of 2021, 320 cases of violations of the rights of PLHIV and other key populations were recorded.

Among the participants of the event:

• Zhyldyz Bakashova, Deputy Chairwoman of the Cabinet of Ministers
• Alexander Goliusov, UNAIDS Regional Director
• Michel Kazatchkine, UNAIDS Special Advisor
• Andriy Klepikov, Alliance for Public Health
• Dr. Jakob Huber, Senior Partner Licit
• Aibar Sultangaziev, Partnership Network Association
• Tetiana Deshko, Alliance for Public Health
• Alexandra Volgina Global Network of PLWH GNP +

As well as Heads of Ministries and departments, representatives of international and non-governmental organizations.

The meeting will be supported by the project “Sustainability of services for key groups in the regions of Eastern Europe and Central Asia” (#SoS_project).

SoS_project: The implementation of the three-year project coordinated by the Alliance for Public Health, in a consortium with the 100% Life (All-Ukrainian Network of PLWH), the Central Asian HIV’ Association and the Eurasian Key Populations Health Network, with the participation of national governmental and non-governmental organizations, regional key populations networks , international agencies and organizations, as well as technical partners, with financial support  The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

REAct (Rights – Evidence – Actions) is a tool  that was developed by Frontline AIDS for monitoring and response to human rights violations at community level. The system is implemented by ICF “Alliance for Public Health” with a technical support of Frontline AIDS and financial support of  the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. REAct enables organizations to record cases of human rights violations among key populations and respond to human rights barriers in accessing HIV prevention and treatment, as well as health care services.

On September 27, 2021, from 09.30 to 12.30 a Round table “Accelerating the response to the HIV / AIDS epidemic in Osh city” will be held in Osh city (Kyrgyzstan).

The Kyrgyz Republic, along with other UN members, joined and is implementing the “Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS: On the Fast-Track to Accelerate the Fight against HIV and to End the AIDS Epidemic by 2030”.

The event organized with the support of the Alliance for Public Health and the Regional Project “Sustainability of Services for Key Populations in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regions” (#SoS_project) and will be attended by invited guests who will share their experiences and strategies in relation to COVID, drug policy, as well as harm reduction to health and society against HIV, tuberculosis and social disintegration.

On the Round table will be presented data the implementation of the city’s HIV program and state social contracting in Osh city. The event will host participants from international organizations, deputies of the сity, Kenesh of Osh city, representatives of law enforcement agencies, heads of medical institutions, local offices, non-governmental organizations.

Among the speakers:

• Almaz Mambetov, Mayor of Osh city
• Jakob Huber, Senior Partner Licit
• Andriy Klepikov, Alliance for Public Health
• Ravshan Mazhitov Director of the Plus Center Foundation
• Aibar Sultangaziev, Partnership Network Association
• Akylbek Mamaseyitov Head of the Internal Affairs Department of Osh city
• Gulgaky Mamasalieva, Director of Interbilim Osh

As well as other representatives of departments, international and non-governmental organizations.

SoS_project: The implementation of the three-year project coordinated by the Alliance for Public Health, in a consortium with the 100% Life (All-Ukrainian Network of PLWH), the Central Asian HIV’ Association and the Eurasian Key Populations Health Network, with the participation of national governmental and non-governmental organizations, regional key populations networks , international agencies and organizations, as well as technical partners, with financial support  The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

On September 14, 2021 Alliance for Public Health, within the Sustainability of Services for Key Populations in EECA regional project (SoS_project) in collaboration with IAS – the International AIDS Society will launch Regional Dialogue on Progressive Approaches to HIV Diagnostics and Treatment in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) and Balkan countries.

This Dialogue is organized for the civil society representatives and governments who are involved into the AIDS response, as well as researchers, community, activists and policy makers from both regions with the aimto demonstrate operational research (OR) results, focusing on lessons learned and recommendations for implementing similar interventions in other countries in the region. Also, the participants will get ad hoc data on assess the situation in the region with the implementation of the latest recommended approaches to diagnosis and treatment, with an emphasis on the interventions that have been piloted within the ORs, identifying key action points/next steps/road maps for the countries of the region to improve the situation and achieve results on the implementation of interventions, as well as possibility to improve corresponding exchange of experience – information and technical support.

Languages: English and Russian (simultaneous translation will be provided)

To participate, please register here: https://bit.ly/2VepJeT

All registered participants will be sent information on participation.

*SoS_project: The implementation of the three-year project will be coordinated by the Alliance for Public Health, in a consortium with the 100% Life (All-Ukrainian Network of PLWH), the Central Asian HIV’ Association and the Eurasian Key Populations Health Network, with the participation of national governmental and non-governmental organizations, regional key populations networks , international agencies and organizations, as well as technical partners, with financial support  The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Contact for more information:

Inna Gavrylova, PR & Communications manager, gavrylova@aph.org.ua

We are pleased to announce that The International Charitable Foundation “Alliance for Public Health” is organizing a competition for the media “Drug Addiction vs. Drug Policy: problems and solutions in Ukraine” for the second year in a row. We invite the journalists of national and regional mass media to take part in the competition for the best journalistic materials on the drug policy and protection of the rights of people who use drugs/patients on substitution maintenance therapy (SMT). The activities will include visits to the regions of Ukraine and training events for the journalists.

The application can be submitted by the authors/editors or editorial teams who have published (or aired) their news/articles/videos/posts from January 1^st to November 12^th, 2021.

The All-Ukrainian competition for the media was created to inform the people of Ukraine about modern prevention and treatment techniques for people who use drugs with an emphasis on the peculiarities of introduction and expansion of SMT in medical institutions, increasing access for people who use drugs to comprehensive services of the national program on HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C prevention, tuberculosis, problems of observance of the human rights.

The urgency of reforming and liberalization of the national repressive drug policy of Ukraine, as well as the decriminalization for people who use drugs on practical successful examples of such work in Ukraine and effective practices of developed countries, are the priority tasks of the competition.

The jury, which will include well-known Ukrainian editors and journalists, as well as public activists and representatives of the Alliance, will determine one winner in each of the following categories:

• Television and radio
• Printing press
• Online edition
• Blogging

The winners of the journalist competition will receive diplomas and incentive prizes. In addition, this competition provides individual awards for initiative materials, such as a series of texts/articles/videos/posts, the creation of special projects, the collaboration of several editions, and so on.

Requirements for competitive works:

• Texts/articles/videos/posts can be prepared in any language of national minorities with a translation into Ukrainian or Russian.
• Publications should reflect Ukrainian realities and, preferably, contain references to the best world practices, demonstrate the real state of affairs with an emphasis on ways to solve these problems.
• The jury will give preference to well-reasoned texts/articles/videos/posts, which prove the need to expand the access of people who use drugs to substitution maintenance therapy and promote their decriminalization on the examples of the best world practices. The focus should be on countering organized drug trafficking, not on stigma or discrimination against people who use drugs.
• The publications may also cover certain aspects, such as women who use drugs and its taboos in Ukrainian society, changes in the drug scene and adolescent addiction with an emphasis on synthetic drugs, and so on.
• All materials submitted by media representatives must be original and free of plagiarism.
• One author (editorial team) can submit an unlimited number of works to the competition.
• All contestants must enter information about the posted material in the registration form at the link: https://forms.gle/6xRHwdCU2f67o23s8

The deadline for submission of materials is November 12^th, 2021 (6 p.m).

 Please visit our website for more information https://aph.org.ua/uk/golovna/

and FB-page https://www.facebook.com/AlliancePublicHealth.

he best materials will be published on the information resources of the ICF “Alliance for Public Health”, so when applying to the competition, the authors automatically allow such publications.

The Second All-Ukrainian competition for the media “Drug Addiction vs. Drug Policy: problems and solutions in Ukraine” is part of the project “Accelerating Progress in Reducing the Burden of Tuberculosis and HIV in Ukraine” implemented by ICF “Alliance for Public Health” with the support of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

On April 22, Medical Patent Pool (MPP) announced that it signed sublicence agreements with pharmaceutical companies Hetero and Viatris (through its subsidiary Mylan), to manufacture and supply dolutegravir (DTG) and DTG-based regimen to Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Malaysia.

Sergey Filippovich, director of #SoS_project at the Alliance for Public Health: “In the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the region with the greatest HIV treatment deficit and limited resources, this is a real breakthrough. Now even more people will be able to receive the latest innovative treatment and significantly improve the quality of their health. In this example of cooperation, we see that through joint efforts, access to effective ART will be expanded. And our work with the partners of the regional project to build the sustainability of HIV services continues. ”

In late 2020, ViiV Healthcare (the manufacturer of the delusional drug) and MPP signed a licensing agreement for these four countries, aimed at expanding access to generics of dolutegravir and ensuring a lower cost of the drug.

“We are delighted that more people living with HIV in the four countries will soon be able to access DTG-based regimens, especially TLD (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/lamivudine/dolutegravir), the first-line regimen recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), which will now be available in these countries in a single pill,” says Charles Gore, Executive Director of MPP.

An official press release from MPP indicates that Hetero and Viatris (through its subsidiary Mylan) were selected following a rigorous and impartial selection process. They are longstanding partners of the Medical Patent Pool and have a proven track record of developing, manufacturing and supplying essential medicines to countries around the world, including low- and middle-income countries. “As Hetero and Mylan have already received approvals for DTG and TLD from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and WHO prequalification, they will be able to supply these much-needed products rapidly to the four countries. A third generic manufacturer is in the process of being selected.”

On April 27, 2021, from 11:00 to 12:30 (CEST, UTC +2 or from 12:00 to 13:30 EEST, UTC +3), an online discussion will be held “The Balkans’ response to COVID-19: experience of #SoS_project partners”.
This is the second in a series of events to discuss the COVID-19 response in EECA and SEE countries. The main goal is to share experiences to improve the regional response to the pandemic.

The first online discussion took place on April 7, 2021 with the presentation of research reports on the impact of COVID-19 on HIV and tuberculosis programs. More than 120 people from 15 countries took part in the event. To view the reports, go to the Alliance for Public Health library >>>

Event agenda:
11:00-11:05 – Opening remarks
11:05-11:20 – Andrej Senih, Executive Director of Stronger Together (North Macedonia)
                       Maintaining essential HIV services and introducing new ones in Covid-19 time
11:20-11:35 – Aida Kurtovic, LLB, MA, Executive Director of the Health Partnership (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
                       Innovation in COVID-19 response
11:35-11:50 –- Goran_Radisavljević, CEO, Timok Youth Center (Serbia)
                       COVID-19 case detection and vaccination – implementation strategy and challenges
11:50-12:05 – Sanja Šišović, program director of NGO CAZAS (Montenegro)
                       Access to HIV prevention, testing and treatment during COVID 19 epidemic
12: 05-12: 20 – Dr. Fifa Rahman, principal researcher of the Matahari Global Solutions (United Kingdom)
                  Results of the study on the impact of COVID-19 on the sustainability of HIV and TB services (accent on Balkan)
12: 20-12: 30 – Q&A session.

Learn more about events and speakers >>>

To participate, please register here: https://cutt.ly/jvPkG43
All registered participants will be sent information on participation.

Organizers: Alliance for Public Health, Partnerships in Health, Timocki Omladinski Centar, Stronger Together, CAZAS.