On November 25-26, 2024, the second regional consultation on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Central Asia took place in Almaty, Kazakhstan, bringing together leading experts and key partners from the region for the second year in a row.
This year’s event brought together more than 120 participants from 15 countries, including national HIV partners, technical experts, representatives of civil society, international organizations and donors. Delegations from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Vietnam, Germany and Thailand discussed the current state of PrEP programs, challenges and prospects for implementing innovative approaches to HIV prevention.
This event has confirmed its importance as a platform for sharing experiences, identifying effective solutions, and developing regional strategies.
The experience of the regional project on the sustainability of HIV services in the EECA region was presented by Sergiy Philippovych, Director of Хэштег#SoS_project 2.0. He shared the results of the work and future plans within the regional project.
In his report, Sergiy Philippovych emphasized the following:
– Achievements of PrEP implementation in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, including the launch of the innovative CAB LA PrEP in Ukraine;
– The main barriers to access to PrEP, including limited coverage of key populations, centralization of services, and confidentiality issues;
– The results of the analysis of PrEP protocols in seven countries of the region, which were used to develop recommendations for their adaptation to WHO standards;
– The importance of regional cooperation in developing differentiated service delivery models.
The main plans of the project include further expansion of access to PrEP, strengthening of community-based program monitoring, and introduction of injectable PrEP in at least two countries in the region.
Particular attention was paid to sustainable financing of PrEP programs through government and donor resources.
The key topics of the meeting included:
– The role of primary health care in implementing PrEP programs as a way to diversify services.
– Experience of NGOs in implementing the EPIC project in Central Asia: challenges and effective solutions.
– Sustainability and financing of PrEP programs in Central Asia.
– Integration of mental health and care for people who use psychoactive substances with PrEP programs.
– PrEP for trans* communities: barriers to access and ways to overcome them.
The meeting was an important step towards strengthening regional partnerships, expanding access to innovative solutions and supporting the global goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030.
The event is organized by ECOM with the support of the Alliance for Public Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), FHI 360, USAID, and numerous local non-governmental organizations.
Second regional meeting on pre-contact prevention in Central Asia
