The INTEREST 2023 conference brought together experts in HIV prevention and treatment to share experiences around the progress that has been made in the fight against HIV in Africa, especially around implementation science.
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Overcoming Addiction and Reclaiming Life: A Photostory from the EpiC project in Central Asia
Peer support groups and opioid substitution therapy provided by SPIN Plus—a partner organization of the EpiC project—offer a new lease on life to those struggling with drug use and at risk for HIV. Read the story of Sher, who overcame his addiction and has since became a peer navigator to support those going through similar struggles. Using his own experiences, he helps others start anew and turn their lives around.
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Addressing Advanced HIV Disease: A three-part webinar series
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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