The IV Regional PLHIV Forum was held with USAID support

From 1 to 2 October 2020, USAID and the ALE “Central Asian Association of People Living with HIV” held the fourth regional Forum of People Living with HIV (PLHIV). The forum was held online for the first time.
The forum was held within the framework of the USAID Project “Leader of People Living with HIV” for representatives of PLHIV communities from country organizations in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Only 74 participants!
“The Forum has become an active platform for discussing joint actions of organizations providing services for PLHIV, including the results of monitoring access and quality of services by the community, developed a common position on defining the main aspects of fundraising,” said Nurali Amanzholov, President of the Central Asian Association of PLHIV.
The event was held with the aim of increasing the organizational, mobilization and technical potential of the Association and national organizations of the Central Asian region. The participants discussed the experience of introducing relevant approaches to reduce stigma and discrimination against PLHIV, advocating the most acceptable and successful programs to access and improve the quality of medical services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthening partnership and cooperation mechanisms, and supporting the campaign “H = H: undetectable – means not transmitting. ”
One of the priority topics of the event is the COVID-19 pandemic. Gabriella Ionascu (UNAIDS) spoke about its impact on the global situation. Participants learned about:
– disruptions in the provision of HIV testing and treatment services in 2020 due to COVID-19;
– research results (UNAIDS);
-recommended measures for COVID -19.
The speaker noted that at the global level, there has been a decrease in the volume of HIV testing in connection with the coronavirus.
Another issue, which is also at the top of the discussion in the community and affects the growth of new HIV infections, is stigma and discrimination.
Lyubov Vorontsova (Central Asian Association of People Living with HIV) made a presentation in which she elaborated on stigma against people living with HIV, namely:
-the study “Stigma Index” (history, experience, principles);
– research results (ways to reduce stigma and discrimination against PLHIV).
It is worth noting that in the countries of Central Asia preparations have begun (and in some of them are already active) to conduct the Index of Stigma of People Living with HIV – 2. While the first survey was conducted in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the current one is also planned in Uzbekistan. In Kazakhstan, the study will take place in 10 regions of the country with the participation of 1,500 people living with HIV. The Stigma Index was developed in 2008, conducted in over 100 countries and translated into 55 languages.
During the Forum, a presentation of unique products took place: an interactive database for monitoring the quality and access of services for PLHIV and the mobile application “Monitoring of access and quality of services” (available in GooglePlay). Thanks to this database, unnecessary steps have been eliminated from the process that slow down access to information from the patient to the target user.
As a result of the Forum, a resolution was adopted that reflects the main directions of the UNAIDS 95x95x95 strategy, calling on all countries to achieve the eradication of the epidemic through goals that are aimed at eliminating the problem of access to HIV treatment and prevention. The “95x95x95” program will allow 95% of PLHIV to find out their HIV status, 95% of people who know their status to access HIV treatment and 95% of people on HIV treatment to achieve viral suppression.