Towards achieving the goals of UNAIDS 95-95-95

 

October 29, 2022

On October 28, specialists of the CNDDIZ and AIDS Centers in Almaty and Almaty region met with Mr. Emann Murphy, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS, Acting Regional Director of UNAIDS for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Asylkhan Abishev, Director of KNCDIZ, told the distinguished guest about the trends in the spread of HIV in Kazakhstan and the work of KNCDIZ on the prevention and treatment of HIV infection. He noted that over the past three years, the coverage of preventive programs for people who inject drugs (LUIN) and sex workers (MS) has increased by an average of 10%, for the group of men who have sex with men (MSM) - by 1.8 times. Positive dynamics is observed in the testing of key population groups (KGN): LUIN by 11%, MSM by 25% and MS is tested by more than 80%. Services and medical care are provided to all REGS on an equal basis within the framework of the GOBMP.

The work of 130 points of trust has been organized, which provide, including syringes, condoms, an information and educational component, counseling before and after an HIV test, are redirected to medical organizations and NGOs to receive medical and social services. There are 28 friendly clinics in the republic with the provision of HIV testing and prevention services/STIs and PREP.

As part of the implementation of the goals of the UN Political Declaration of 2021 and the goals of UNAIDS, 95-95-95 of the estimated number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) know their HIV status 87%. Of these, 81% receive antiretroviral therapy, and 85% have an undetectable viral load.

As a result of the increased availability of ARV therapy, there is a tendency to decrease the mortality rate of PLHIV from AIDS: from 10 per 1000 PLHIV in 2019 to 8 in 2021, which contributes to increasing the duration and improving the quality of life of PLHIV.

Mr. Emann Murphy was interested in further measures to implement the goals of UNAIDS 95-95-95, increasing prevention programs for REN and measures to prevent HIV from mother to child.

KNCDIZ employees noted that in order to provide high-quality medical care to PLHIV, proposals were made to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan on revising the formation of the budget for the provision of PLHIV services by developing a comprehensive tariff. A three-component integrated tariff has been approved, which provides for recommendations of clinical protocols and regulatory documents. Bringing the calculations for the formation of tariffs into a single standard allowed to increase funding for the provision of HIV infection services under the GOBMP almost twice from 9,518,957 thousand tenge in 2019 to 17,449,096 in 2021.

The coverage of drug prevention of pregnant women has increased in the country from 66% in 2006 to 98% in 2021, newborns born to HIV-positive mothers from 81% in 2006 to 99% in 2021. Thanks to an integrated approach, the risk of perinatal HIV transmission has decreased from 12.8% to 1.4% in 2021 since 2006. A letter has been sent to WHO about the readiness of the Republic of Kazakhstan to begin the preparatory process for confirming the elimination of HIV transmission from mother to child.

Mr. Emann Murphy highly appreciated Kazakhstan's success in combating HIV infection, as well as successful practices in working with key population groups and expressed confidence in achieving the goals of UNAIDS 95-95-95.

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