Partner Forum in Almaty

November 23, 2023

Joint achievements, successes, overcoming barriers and future activities were discussed on November 23 by participants of the forum of partners of the project "Almaty model of HIV epidemic Control".

Effective partnership helps in overcoming HIV. This leitmotif ruled the discussions and discussion of the most important issues. All participants – employees of state, international, non–governmental organizations, civil society activists - were unanimous: collaboration is necessary for everyone.

Welcoming the participants, the Director of the Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS in Almaty, M. Tukeev, and the Senior Program Director of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Jake Rashbas, noted that any partnership will be effective when there is a common goal, when interaction is based on common principles, combining resources and capabilities.

The project "Almaty Model of HIV Epidemic Control" has been operating since July 2020 with the aim of creating and implementing a sustainable, comprehensive, cost-effective urban HIV control program in Almaty. During this time, innovative approaches have been introduced in testing using social networks for key population groups, an online service for ordering HIV tests has been created, the use of pre-contact prevention has begun for the first time in the country, and much more.

One of the successes of the project is the built-up effective cooperation between the AIDS Center and an NGO to accompany a client, a representative of key population groups from the moment of HIV detection to registration at the dispensary, the start of ART and further support.

At the forum, participants exchanged useful information about the experience of organizing social assistance in Amsterdam, the introduction of project approaches based on PHC, legal support for key population groups. The good news was the launch of an online HIV self-testing platform in Astana.

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