Tetiana Deshko, Director of International Programmes at the Alliance for Public Health paid a working visit to Tajikistan.
Together with representatives of NGO SPIN Plus, partners of #SoS_project 2.0 regional project in Tajikistan, they conducted a series of meetings with local stakeholders to identify key entry points for improving the HIV situation in the country.
During her visit, Tatiana met with the Vice-Mayor of Kulyab – Daminzoda Farahnamo, coordinator of the #SoS 2.0 project in Kulyab, Shamsiddinov Sirodjiddin, Pulod Jamolov, director of SPIN Plus, Elena Hasanova, advocacy manager at SPIN Plus, as well as with the heads of local organizations: Faizov Nasim, director of NGO “SPIN Plus”, Ernasheva Mastona, director of NGO “Jovidon”. The meetings focused on improving services for key populations in the context of HIV.
As Ms Deshko pointed out, Kulyab is located in the south of Tajikistan in the Khatlon region. It is a region with less international funding, yet the health challenges in the context of HIV in the city are significant. There are 386 people living with HIV (PLHIV), of whom 313 are on ART. The patients who are not on ART are injecting drug users or migrants. Current gaps in programmes remain, and the city is actively seeking to address them. One way to improve the situation and attract international expertise is to join the Fast-track-cities AIDS elimination movement.
“The city has a coordinating council and has developed a city HIV plan. We hope that Kulyab will sign the Paris Declaration and join the international movement of cities, which will help present the needs of the city to the international donor community,” said Tatiana Deshko
