EpiC Central Asia
Today, almost 11,000 people in the Kyrgyz Republic are living with HIV. Every year, on average, 700 people are diagnosed with HIV. A diagnosis of HIV was once presumed to be fatal, and many lived in fear of transmitting the virus to others. These fears contributed to decades of stigma toward those living with HIV.
Nowadays, antiretroviral therapy (ART) is available across the country, and nearly 7,500 people living with HIV in the Kyrgyz Republic are on ART. But, despite the benefits, more than 1,000 people diagnosed with HIV in the country have refused treatment since it became available in 2005.
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