FHI 360 is hosting a three-part webinar series with global experts on how to scale evidence-based strategies to address advanced HIV disease.
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Kazakhstan’s first community-based pre-exposure prophylaxis program allows for flexibility and options
EpiC introduced a community-based PrEP program in January 2023, through Your World, a community-based organization in East Kazakhstan that provides HIV prevention, testing, and treatment. This program leveraged community-based HIV counseling and testing platforms to refer HIV-negative, at-risk MSM to non-clinic-based PrEP initiation and continuation services.
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EpiC Botswana launches e-lockers to promote access to antiretroviral treatment
Botswana was recently recognized at the International AIDS Conference for its achievement in reaching HIV epidemic control after surpassing the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 95-95-95 targets to reach 95-98-98 in July 2022. These results show tremendous progress toward achieving control of the HIV epidemic and demonstrate the extraordinary impact of the national HIV response. New innovations such as decentralized drug distribution (DDD) position Botswana to eliminate HIV as a public health threat in the next decade.
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Strengthening Mongolia’s capacity for critical care: perspectives from the health workforce
In 2022, EpiC Mongolia trained hospital and soum-level (or rural primary) doctors and specialists, along with medical equipment engineers, on the use of ventilators, maintaining oxygen ecosystems, oxygen therapy, and critical care for patients with COVID-19. Read on to hear perspectives from members of the health workforce on the impact of the project in Mongolia.
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Economic Strengthening Hubs Create New Opportunities for DREAMS Participants in Tanzania
Eva, age 19, was born into one of the poorest families in Kahama Town in the Shinyanga Region of Tanzania. She is the sixth of seven children. Her family survived by selling local beer. While in school, Eva had to join her mother to help with the business. Eva repeatedly experienced violence from customers, sometimes because she refused to drink alcohol or be inappropriately touched, other times because she pickpocketed the drunk men or inflated their bills, in an effort to boost the family’s income.
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Paraguay launches first-of-its-kind digital system to track medical oxygen
“Do you remember a year ago, when all we had was a WhatsApp group to ask questions of each other and send pictures of the oxygen purities?” Rodrigo Romero, head of the Paraguay Ministry of Health´s Medical Gas Department offered this poignant reflection during the opening remarks of an event celebrating the launch, training, and validation of the country’s first digital oxygen maintenance tracking system that the Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) project hosted in Paraguay in March.
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PEPFAR’s Contributions to Key Population Programming: Looking Back and Looking Forward
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the USAID- and PEPFAR-supported Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) project hosted a webinar to reflect on the agency’s support of HIV programming... Continue Reading
New e-Pharmacy Improves Access to Lifesaving Medicines and Creates an Innovative Business Model for a Community-Led Organization in India
In February, the Network of Maharashtra by People Living with HIV/AIDS (NMP+) launched TAAL+, the first-ever peer-led e-pharmacy platform in India. Through the e-pharmacy, people living with HIV or other chronic health conditions can order their medicines online for home delivery across India.
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Protecting older adults in Indonesia through COVID-19 vaccination
Older, unvaccinated adults are more likely to get severe illness or die from COVID-19. Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on older adults in Indonesia—patients over the age of 60 comprise more than half of COVID-related intensive care unit admissions and suffer from the lowest recovery rate and highest mortality rate.1 Evidence shows that being fully vaccinated significantly reduces the risk of COVID-related hospitalization and death and is one of the most powerful tools we have against the pandemic.
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Choose Joy: A Photostory from the EpiC project in Central Asia
In Kazakhstan, the EpiC project trains peer navigators to support people who inject drugs to access HIV testing, treatment, and prevention services. When Konstantin discovered that an ex-girlfriend was diagnosed with HIV, a peer navigator from EpiC named Nikolai reached... Continue Reading