The Global Health Research Center of Central Asia was awarded funding from the Elton John AIDS Foundation to launch “BeOnline” to provide free HIV self-tests and increase HIV and STI risks awareness among men who have sex with men and the trans* communities.
Several months ago, global leaders gathered at the International AIDS Society AIDS 2018 conference to discuss the rising HIV epidemic in Central Asia, where the Social Intervention Group, Directed by Professor Nabila El-Bassel, and Global Health Research Center of Central Asia teams presented research in several panels, symposiums, and poster sessions.
At the conference, the Global Health Research Center of Central Asia (GHRCCA) had the honor of being included at the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s press conference, where they announced funding for new AIDS prevention initiatives in Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
Why Central Asia and Eastern Europe? For the past several years, due in large part to injection drug use among other causes, these are the only areas where the number of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths are rising. In addition, the quality of HIV services is often lacking or limited.
Daily, individuals face many social barriers such as stigma, and structural barriers preventing access to HIV prevention and treatment. In fact, less that 40 percent of those who inject drugs in Central Asia and Eastern Europe are able to access antiretroviral treatment.
Related: “International AIDS Conference Focuses on People Left Behind in Central Asia.”
Given this backdrop, GHRCCA is excited to have received funding from the Elton John AIDS Foundation to launch “BeOnline” this upcoming March to provide free HIV self-tests and increase HIV and STI risks awareness.
The target population includes men who have sex with men and transgender individuals: The least studied and most isolated groups among all key vulnerable groups in Kazakhstan.
In fact, according to Kazakhstan’s Sentinel Epidemiological Surveillance data, HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men in Kazakhstan has been increasing dramatically. Reported HIV prevalence among these men was 1% in 2013, 3.2% in 2015, and 6.1 % in 2017. According to the Republican AIDS Center forecasts, with the existing prevention measures, HIV prevalence among MSM in Kazakhstan could reach numbers as high as 20% by 2020.
Thus BeOnline will increase access for these vulnerable groups to access HIV testing services, learn their HIV statuses and get linked to care.
The project, which leverages the power of social media by using popular platforms like Facebook, Instragram, and VK (a Russian-language social media platform) as well as dating apps and websites, will provide accurate information of how to handle HIV and STI risks.
See the video interview with GHRCCA’s Regional Director Dr. Assel Terlikbayeva, who explains how the award will help promote self-testing among men who have sex with men and transgender individuals using digital technology and social media.
Stay tuned for reports from BeOnline, which runs from March 2019 through March 2021.