Progress to date

During 2022 we managed to create two working groups regarding the development of a pilot project on long-acting PrEP for key population groups (KPG) in Ukraine or other country in the EECA region with pharmaceutical companies – ViiV Healthcare (ViiV) regarding long-acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA) and GILEAD regarding long-acting lenacapavir (LA PrEP). Our main goal during communication is to provide 100 representatives of KPG with long-acting PrEP as part of a comprehensive approach to HIV prevention with technical support from the Alliance for Public Health and donation of a drug from a pharmaceutical company as an additional HIV prevention option for people at high risk of HIV infection.

Due to significant part to the SoS 2 project advocacy, Ukraine is the first country in EECA to receive CAB LA PrEP for 100 MSM in Kyiv and Lviv during a two-year cycle funded by PEPFAR. This intervention is implemented by the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine through the National PrEP Program in partnership with APH. The SoS 2.0 project together with Alliance.Global created an information campaign, the main purpose of which is to create demand and awareness of CAB LA among clients (https://long.prep.com.ua/)

Progress to date

ECOM in partnership with WHO regional office for Europe analyzed five national PrEP protocols (Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia and Ukraine) and provided Report with recommendations on the steps needed to include PrEP into nationally approved standard package of servises. The report is under design and will be published by the end of February.

Much work was done in 2023 to present recommendations based on analyzes of PrEP Protocols in 5 countries. Online and offline meetings with stakeholders, monitoring visits (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) were held, the results were presented at various meetings, conferences, and technical consultations. Based on the analysis of PrEP Protocols and updated WHO recommendations, policy briefs were developed and sent to countries, the purpose of which was to show and not miss the importance of new interventions that can improve PrEP services in countries.

Progress to date

Research protocol developed and submitted for review to the IRB.

Progress to date

60 stationary places for living in shelters in Kyiv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions were organized with support of food, transportation, coverage of a basic package of medicines and household goods, clothing for 405 people from key groups and members of their families. Provided technical support to 4 shelters (Poltava, Cherkasy, Kryvyi Rih and Zhytomyr). 70 payments were made for the payment of rent and provision of proper social and living conditions for the participants of the OST program. 22 payments were made to victims of violence from the Russian occupiers. In total, more than 1,500 people were covered by the program.

Progress to date

Activity currently being funded from alternative sources.

After the GF financial support of the initative ended, in 2023 it was supported by Aidsfonds, which allowed for seamless continuation of work in full scale for 10 months; several more months were focused on finalising the program and establishing a Polish-based Foundation “Help Now Hub” to enable the opportunity to further support refugees and other groups requiring relevant support in Poland and beyond. At the same time, even after the funding had ended, the teams partially continue(d) to provide support and maintain the communication/information resources on a volutarily basis.

Progress to date

Work on shelters has expanded – in addition to 5 shelters for working with women who use drugs in conditions of violence (Ukraine, Serbia, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan), support for flexible shelters for representatives of the LGBT community in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan has been added. The program was distinguished by a special programmatic approach to working with clients – about 3,200 clients received material assistance in the form of food packages (Georgia, Kazakhstan). PPE support in Kaz for migrants and KGP (124,000 disposable masks, 1,000 antiseptics); CLM to provide quality services for clients of OST programs in 7 countries.

Progress to date

Purchased 120 thousand rapid antigen tests for COVID (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Tajikistan, Ukraine) and 4,000 PCR tests for Ukraine to test key population groups and their close contacts.

Progress to date

Current testing and treatment protocols analysis is finished in 7 countries (Armenia, Moldova, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine) and recommendations to align the national protocols with the WHO guidelines are provided. The report is available at the link.

WHO has held the analysis of HIV testing guidelines in 6 countries of EECA – Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan. The report is available at the link.

National HIV testing and ART-optimized strategies based on and aligned with the WHO recommendations were developed for 4 EECA countries – Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova.

Progress to date

Assessment of the sustainability of the opioid agonist therapy programme in the context of transition from donor support to domestic funding was conducted in Moldova and Tajikistan. The reports are being finalized and sent for design, they’ll be published by the end of Q1 2023. The assessments in Albania, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine are ongoing and will be finalized in 2023.

PULS Communitar conducted CLM study to evaluate OAT programs in the Republic of Moldova, identify the level of the availability and acceptability of programs, outline achievements, and identify and evaluate difficulties faced by the program participants. Report with findings and conclusions was prepared and presented on the meeting with service providers and decision makers. Next steps and recommendations for CCM were elaborated.

GENDERDOC-M conducted a CLM study to identify the barriers in access to PrEP among MSM/TG. The results were presented to the Key Affected Populations (KAP) committee. After the presentation, it was strongly recommended to showcase these results at the National Dialogue event. The aim is to leverage the platform to advocate for a comprehensive revision of the National Clinical Protocol on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in the first quarter of 2024. This strategic move aligns with the commitment to fostering meaningful changes in the national approach to PrEP in response to the insights gained through the CLM survey.

Forum of PWUD conducted a study on the impact of the absence of take-home OAT on the life of patients and adherence to treatment. Report in Russian is prepared. Meeting with CCM is planned to be organized in January 2024.

Rubikoni conducted a study on the impact of the absence of take-home OAT on the life of patients and adherence to treatment. Furthermore, the meeting with service providers and decision makers was organized, where results of the CLM were presented and discussed recommendations and next steps.

Equal to equal conducted a study on the client satisfaction with OAT. Report in Russian was prepared. Moreover, the meeting with service providers and decision makers was organized, where results of the CLM were presented and discussed recommendations and next steps.

Intighob (Initiative group based on SPIN PLUS) conducted a study of the impact of the absence of take-home OAT on the life of patients and adherence to treatment. Report in Russian language was prepared. Moreover, the meetings with service providers and decision makers was organized, where results of the CLM were presented and discussed recommendations and next steps.

“New Generation” conducted Community Based Assessment of HIV Services Provided to MSM Living With HIV In Armenia through a focus group with broad number of experts and MSM community members (including representatives from CCM). The results were included to “Funding Priorities of Civil Society and Communities Most Affected by HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria” by Global Fund under the number 9 (The funding priorities and minutes from CRG group meeting attached). These priorities are in active use to prepare an application for the Global Fund grant in Armenia. In addition, results are in active use in the National dialogue now.

Progress to date

In 2023, the study/pilot protocol was finalised and approved by the IRB, the implementation sites were selected, teams were trained and attended a study visit to the Czech Republic, the medication was procured and delivered to the sites.

Progress to date

Current testing and treatment protocols analysis is finished in 7 countries (Armenia, Moldova, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine) and recommendations to align the national protocols with the WHO guidelines are provided. The report is available at the link.

WHO has held the analysis of HIV testing guidelines in 6 countries of EECA – Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan. The report is available at the link.

National HIV testing and ART-optimized strategies based on and aligned with the WHO recommendations were developed for 4 EECA countries – Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova.

Progress to date

On December 9, the REGMH with the assistance of the NCC Secretariat held in Dushanbe a Roundtable “Protection of health of migrants from Tajikistan”. The event was timed to presentation of a new study conducted by the REGMH: “Situation and Economic analysis of HIV-related health services in the field of migration in Tajikistan”.

On December 13, 2022, the Regional Expert Group on Migration and Health together with Central Asian Association of People Living with HIV held a Roundtable in Almaty “Health of HIV positive migrants in Kazakhstan”. The aim of the Round Table was to promote effective and timely treatment of international migrants living with HIV. During the meeting, the Situational and Economic analysis on the provision of HIV-related health services for international migrants in Kazakhstan was presented and discussed.

On December 19, REG together with local NGO “Real World. Real People” held a Roundtable in Armenia, Yerevan aimed to buster a discussion and exchange of experience on the provision of services for international HIV-positive migrants between heads of health authorities of the Republic of Armenia, government departments responsible for migration and civil society organizations. At the meeting, a study “Analysis of legal and institutional barriers to accessing HIV services among migrants in the Republic of Armenia” (developed by REG in 2021) was presented.

Also, in Q4 REG has launched a study is Kyrgyzstan.

On October 11, REG held an online meeting “Migrants’ access to HIV services in Central Asia and Caucasus” that gathered representatives of UNAIDS, Central Asian Association of PLHIV (Kazakhstan), TB People (Georgia), NGO “Real World, Real People” (Armenia), IFRC Central Asia, WHO Europe, Elton John AIDS Foundation, NGO Equality Movement (Georgia), AFEW (Kyrgyzstan), IFRC South Caucasus, Global Fund, WHO, and MSF. The goal of the meeting was to initiate a discussion and work out possible solutions to provide access to HIV services for those who urgently left the countries following the political situation.

Situation and Economic analysis of HIV-related health services in the field of migration in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan were held and are available at the links: Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan.

In addition, the report “Ukrainian Refugees in European Countries: Barriers, Solutions and Best Practices. Access to HIV and Tuberculosis Care” was developed and is available at the link.

Progress to date

Small Grants Programme with 4 selected projects run by grass-root NGOs in 2022 included:

• “National Trans Coalition” NGO with the project titled “HIV prevention in Armenia through gender mainstreaming” (Armenia);
• “The Public Association “Union for Equity and Health” NGO with the project titled “Gender Equality for sex workers” (Moldova);
• “Rromnjako Ilo” Zrenjanin he Public Association” NGO with the project titled “Check your health – Equality for Trans Roma and Roma women/girls sex workers” (Serbia);
• “NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION «NASHA DOPOMOGA»” with the project titled “RIGHT TO HEALTH!” (Ukraine).

• The project applicant is the organization “Albanian Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)” with the project titled “New approach on transforming the spiral of exclusion and marginalization, towards the right of recognition before the law, gender-diverse and reduce the violence in health-care settings for trans persons in Albania”.
• The project applicant is the “National Trans Coalition” NGO with the project titled “Strategic pathway to remove structural barriers for trans* communities to PrEP and PEP services in Armenia”. The proposed project has been designed to establish favorable conditions for improving access of Trans* communities to PrEP and PEP services in Armenia.
• The project applicant is the organization “STAR STAR” Skopje with the project titled “Community Mobilization to Mitigate Funding Cuts and Gender Inequality in National HIV Programs for Sex Workers in North Macedonia”. The project is envisioned as a response to the latest developments in North Macedonia related to provision and delivery of HIV prevention services for key populations.
• The project applicant is the organization “Rromnjako Ilo” Zrenjanin he Public Association” NGO with the project titled “Supporting health wellbeing and safety of Trans and Intersex Roma, sex workers and HIV+”.
  

Progress to date

On December 9, the REGMH with the assistance of the NCC Secretariat held in Dushanbe a Roundtable “Protection of health of migrants from Tajikistan”. The event was timed to presentation of a new study conducted by the REGMH: “Situation and Economic analysis of HIV-related health services in the field of migration in Tajikistan”.

On December 13, 2022, the Regional Expert Group on Migration and Health together with Central Asian Association of People Living with HIV held a Roundtable in Almaty “Health of HIV positive migrants in Kazakhstan”. The aim of the Round Table was to promote effective and timely treatment of international migrants living with HIV. During the meeting, the Situational and Economic analysis on the provision of HIV-related health services for international migrants in Kazakhstan was presented and discussed.

On December 19, REG together with local NGO “Real World. Real People” held a Roundtable in Armenia, Yerevan aimed to buster a discussion and exchange of experience on the provision of services for international HIV-positive migrants between heads of health authorities of the Republic of Armenia, government departments responsible for migration and civil society organizations. At the meeting, a study “Analysis of legal and institutional barriers to accessing HIV services among migrants in the Republic of Armenia” (developed by REG in 2021) was presented.

On October 11, REG held an online meeting “Migrants’ access to HIV services in Central Asia and Caucasus” that gathered representatives of UNAIDS, Central Asian Association of PLHIV (Kazakhstan), TB People (Georgia), NGO “Real World, Real People” (Armenia), IFRC Central Asia, WHO Europe, Elton John AIDS Foundation, NGO Equality Movement (Georgia), AFEW (Kyrgyzstan), IFRC South Caucasus, Global Fund, WHO, and MSF. The goal of the meeting was to initiate a discussion and work out possible solutions to provide access to HIV services for those who urgently left the countries following the political situation.

REGMH held a number of online and offline seminars and rioundtables to present and discuss the results of their studies in Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. A number of discussions was also held to scale up remote registration of migrants with HIV to get access to HIV services. For now, remote registration is functional in Tajikistan, and the preparatory work is implemented in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
In particular, on June, 6 in Dushanbe REGMH held a Round Table on protecting health of Tajik migrants. The purpose of the meeting that gathered together the staff of the AIDS Center, the patients’ community, specialists from NGOs in the region and host countries was to discuss the maintaining of the algorithm for remote registration of citizens of Tajikistan with HIV living abroad, and to formulate further steps to improve access of migrants to HIV services. Deputy Director of the Republican AIDS Center made a proposal to develop and sign a Memorandum for Mutual Recognition of Medical Tests at the level of Republican AIDS Centers in the Central Asian region.

On December 4, REGMH held a Round Table in Yerevan, Armenia. The key focus of the meeting was the provision of HIV services for Armenian citizens living abroad.

On December, 25 REGMH participated in online meeting to discuss current issues of implementation/piloting of “Remote registration of migrants with HIV in Uzbekistan”, organized by a consortium of organizations in Uzbekistan to promote the protocol, including IOM, CCM, AFEW, and REGMH. During the meeting, representative of CCM informed that the protocol was accepted and signed by the Center for State Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance of the Republic of Uzbekistan. What is very important, the final version includes recommendations suggested by REGMH making it easier to register a migrant than it was in an initial version of the document.

On June 15, REGMH held its quarterly Working group meeting on remote registration of PLWH living abroad. As a result of the Round Table held earlier in Uzbekistan, the group managed to attract specialists from the Republican AIDS Center and the CCM of Uzbekistan. During the meeting, the Group discussed the issue of accepting medical documentation (certificates, test results) issued by country of migrant’s destination, which are necessary for remote registration; also, the standard for the minimum set of documents for remote registration of citizens in migration (based on WHO’s recommendations) were presented to participants on order to foster the development of remote registration in the EECA countries.

REGMH has launched a series of Webinars “Health of Refugee and Migrants from the EECA countries”, designed both for those who flee and seek help in the host country and for those who organize help in receiving countries. Also, webinars could be of interest to those who research and solve systemic problems.

The first webinar took place on August 09 and was devoted to revision of problems that Ukrainian refugees who use drugs face: “People Who Use Drugs from Ukraine: Challenges and Solutions”.

Migration and Health Summer School was hekd on 21-22 Aug 2023 in Yerevan, Armenia. where participants discussed best practices and solutions for providing medical care to migrants and refugees from the EECA region. Country representatives of REGMH from the EECA region, representatives of health authorities from the EECA countries, experts from regional and international organizations, WHO, UNAIDS, UNDP, and MSF attended the event, totally, 40 participants from 12 countries.

On November 24, 2023 REGMH held a Round table in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to discuss current issues of migrant health in the context of HIV. The event brought together experts from relevant ministries and departments, non-governmental and civil sectors, as well as representatives of international organizations. A key part of the round table was the presentation of study’s results conducted by REG in 2023 “Situational and economic analysis in the field of migration and the provision of medical services related to HIV in the Kyrgyz Republic” to identify legal and institutional barriers related to HIV faced by citizens of Kyrgyzstan returning from migration.

Progress to date

Cumulatively, during 2022 there were registered 6700+ cases in 13 countries (Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Serbia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan) involving 170+ CBOs, as well as regional networks such as ECOM (in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) and ENPUD (Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Belarus).

The following publications are available:

• Statistic country reports by APH on human rights violations based on REAct data collected in 2021 in Kyrgyzstan, in Georgia, in Moldova, in Tajikistan.
• Protectors or Perpetrators: the impact of unlawful policing on human rights and HIV. Join analytical publication in partnership with Frontline AIDS, Alliance for Public Health (Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Moldova, Georgia, Uzbekistan), AIDS Foundation (South Africa), Gender Dynamix.
• Report on the results of the analysis of the Hotline calls by APH: Domestic and other forms of violence against women living with HIV and women in key populations during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tajikistan.
• REAct Statistical Report for the 1st half of 2022 by APH. Violations of the rights of people living with HIV and representatives of vulnerable groups in Georgia.
  Situational Report by APH: Drug policy in Georgia and Challenges.
• Series of publications by APH based on REAct data within regional campaign “16 days against gender-based violence”.

REAct system is available and functional at the national level in the following counties. It enables documentation of cases of human rights violations: Albania (45 cases), Armenia (182), Azerbaijan (174), B&H (70), Montenegro (60), Kazakhstan (363), North Macedonia (42), Tajikistan (1155), Serbia (24), Uzbekistan (835). More detailed data of 2023 is available in REAct Regional Digest and REAct website.

Cumulatively in 10 countries, 49,9% of documented cases were responded by REActors, their organizations or through referral to partner NGOs or institutions. During 2023 in 10 countries, there were provided 2162 consultations about human rights, 1022 consultations with professional lawyers. In 168 cases REActors helped to draft simple legal documents, such as complains or statement to police, in 236 cases represented client’s interests in medical facilities, assisted in getting medical services and support, in 336 cases – accompanied the client in the initial appeal to the police. There were at least 20 strategic court cases, and at least 162 cases were used for shadow reports to UN Treaty Bodies.

Progress to date

ToR for the dashboard is under development; methodologies and approaches to data collection for the social contacting and sustainability and transition portals are being updated.

The concepts and the ToRs for the database, BI analytics module and website to present the information from the dashboard were developed.

Progress to date

Concept is developed, scripts are under development, research is being carried out to identify the optimal technical framework.

The first version of the eSW solution (web-based) has been developed – English language solution with the key topics of the knowledge database and tested, plans for further development and adaptation/improvement formulated.

Progress to date

Targeted activities were held in all project countries to discuss with national and international, governmental and non-governmental stakeholders the changes needed to enable sustainable and uninterrupted funding of HIV-related activities from national resources. Through targeted advocacy, technical support, and an integrated approach to HIV funding, in 2022 the project team managed to allocate approximately 1,7 million USD at the national level to programs for key populations, using social contracting mechanisms: Moldova – 154,126.84 USD; Kazakhstan – 118,529.33 USD; Kyrgyzstan – 61,000 USD; Tajikistan – 19,200.00 USD; Georgia – 357,000 USD; Ukraine – 931,453.96 USD.

Progress to date

Targeted activities were held in all project countries to discuss with national and international, governmental and non-governmental stakeholders the changes needed to enable sustainable and uninterrupted funding of HIV-related activities from national resources. Through targeted advocacy, technical support, and an integrated approach to HIV funding, in 2022 the project team managed to allocate approximately 1,7 million USD at the national level to programs for key populations, using social contracting mechanisms: Moldova – 154,126.84 USD; Kazakhstan – 118,529.33 USD; Kyrgyzstan – 61,000 USD; Tajikistan – 19,200.00 USD; Georgia – 357,000 USD; Ukraine – 931,453.96 USD.

Progress to date

In the reporting period, the Emergency package of services for key and vulnerable groups of the population in the field of HIV, and TB in the context of military conflicts was finalized, including tariffication. On its basis, in 2023, the process of advocacy and promotion of implementation at the level of countries in the EECA region will be launched.

Strategic Brief on Business Continuity (link) and Strategic Brief on Social contracting (link) were developed. In addition, Analysis of Quality of Services Provided in Azerbaijan was held and is available at the link.