NGO to play a significant role in providing an access to HIV rapid testing

Organization of legal entities “KazUnion of people living with HIV” within the program of USAID/PEPFAR under the project of Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia “Good Governance Initiative Fund” hosted a working meeting on January, 20 to discuss the role of NGOs in providing an access to HIV rapid testing.

“Non-governmental sector should play a significant role in providing an access to HIV rapid testing. Activities undertaken by public organizations will increase the number of those who need HIV testing, and will result in reasonable use of funding, finally having a positive effect on epidemiological situation in the country”, - said the head of National Center for Prevention and Control of AIDS Baurzhan Baiserkin, opening the discussion.

The president of the Organization of legal entities “KazUnion of people living with HIV” Nuraly Amanzholov mentioned that a number of NGOs in many regions of Kazakhstan actively work on the projects to assist groups to be the most vulnerable to the risk of contracting of HIV infection. Launching a service of HIV rapid-testing will demonstrate the effectiveness of those projects. “HIV express-testing is the resource that will enable to broaden the range of test receivers and increase the quality of the projects under realization”, - he added.

Draft of the Methodological manual on algorithm of conducting consultation and testing for HIV with the help of rapid testing through NGOs was presented at the meeting.

Participants were active in expressing ideas, comments and recommendations while discussing the content of the manual. Finally it was decided to make some minor changes to the document and have it fully completed by the end of January.

Discussion of the ways to provide HIV rapid-testing through NGO made a focus on definite issues that could be solved at the legislative level.

“We will continue working on elaboration of documents, regulating an access to HIV testing through NGOs. Apart from that, a draft order of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development on implementing of pilot projects on rapid testing for HIV through NGOs in 2017” is under way”, - said Lyubov Chubukova, Director of the project “Access to HIV rapid-testing through NGOs in Kazakhstan”.

As we have informed, the aim of the meeting was to join efforts of government, international organizations and civil sector for developing a common strategy to launch a service on HIV rapid-testing through NGOs.

The participants of the working meeting included the representatives from the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development, National Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS, International organizations (ICAP, CDC, PSI), NGOs.