More than 80 percent of people living with HIV in Kazakhstan know their status

February 28, 2022

March 1, at the initiative of the United Nations, is celebrated as Zero Discrimination Day. This year's UN slogan is “Abolish laws that cause harm. Pass laws that expand opportunities.

State guarantees to prevent any form of discrimination in connection with HIV are enshrined at the legislative level in the Constitution and the Code on the Health of the People and the Healthcare System of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The country is implementing the UNAIDS 95-95-95 strategy, which aims to provide HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care. Today, 81 percent of people living with HIV know their status, of which 79 percent are on antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 86 percent of people living with HIV are virally suppressed.In all regions of the country, a new type of prevention is being introduced - pre-exposure. Thanks to financial assistance from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, 15 laboratories of regional AIDS Centers received automated PCR equipment. Every year more people are tested for HIV among key populations (injecting drug users, sex workers, men who have sex with men) and pregnant women. Women with HIV in 98% give birth to healthy children.ART is becoming more accessible, which is prescribed to patients immediately after diagnosis and is provided free of charge. Coverage of ART with the target indicator of the State Health Development Program of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2020-2025 -71%, today is 79%. - But these results could be much more significant if the level of HIV-related stigma and discrimination in society was not high.Today it is necessary to focus on the complete eradication of discrimination. This will contribute to a significant reduction in the growth rate of the HIV epidemic, - says Asylkhan Abishev, director of the Kazakh Scientific Center for Dermatology and Infectious Diseases of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan.On the eve of the Zero Discrimination Day, UNESCO and the Mass Media Team, with the support of UNAIDS - Kazakhstan, shot a feature short film PLUS about the love story of a discordant couple (one partner is HIV positive, the other is HIV negative). The focus is on the relationship between the young photographer Ayan and his girlfriend Miki, who dream of building a family despite the prejudices of others. A romantic tragicomedy that every person deserves happiness, HIV is not a hindrance to a normal life, and love is stronger than the power of stereotypes, is available for viewing on UNESCO Almaty YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYMBNy456RY

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