Coordination of efforts of all interested parties and planning of work with consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic

We, like the whole world, live in COVID-19 conditions for the first time, and we understand that the consequences will affect us all. But, one of us may suffer even more, because of vulnerability, health condition and access to services. Knowing and taking into account the needs and characteristics of PLHIV, we, as UNAIDS, understood that it would be necessary to offer a wider range of services after the emergency. Therefore, we needed a plan (like Mr. Fix had )))). At the same time, it was very important to know the opinion of PLHIV themselves, and the service organizations that provide these services. HIV community in the country is really mobile and cohesive. Mobility and cohesion were tested once again in these days, when it was necessary to respond quickly to new challenges: somewhere to reprogram activities and engage groups to help somewhere to mobilize them, to know the opinion.’Мобильность и сплоченность была проверена как-раз в эти дни, когда нужно было быстро отвечать на новые вызовы: где-то перепрограммировать деятельность и вовлечь группы для оказания помощи, где-то мобилизовать их, чтобы узнать мнение”.
Meerim Sarybaeva UNAIDS National Coordinator in Kyrgyzstan
The COVID-19 epidemic has become a completely new challenge for us all, which at the very beginning caused a sense of confusion. We were not ready for this and did not know how to act, we had very little information. And as they say, we needed a plan and understanding where to go. At the same time, the many years of experience of our programs, the flexibility with which we are all used to working, the pooling of efforts of all partners and the thirst for life that our communities possess, have allowed us to mobilize and adapt to new conditions. This mobilization created the conditions for the development of an action plan.
Aybar Sultangaziev Chairman of the ‘Partnership Network’ Association

Problem

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the availability of HIV services in Kyrgyzstan. A state of emergency was introduced in the country since March 25, 2020, which was extended until May 10, which limited the free movement of citizens, including in order to receive medical and social services not directly related to a direct threat to life. Despite the fact that PLHIV and people with TB were provided with medicines for a longer period at the beginning of March, the healthcare system was under severe stress. From the current situation, medical workers were afraid of becoming infected with COVID-19 and minimized their contacts with any patients. Some facilities refuse to accept patients, explaining this by the lack of protective equipment and conditions for separation into “clean” and “dirty” zones.

Considering that all coordinating structures have focused their efforts on localizing the epidemic, most other issues have been postponed. For an unlimited period of time, attention has been reduced to the implementation of national strategies and government programs in the branch of health. Obviously, state social procurement programs will not be implemented this year, and the planned increase in funding for HIV and TB projects will be frozen. Meanwhile, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, priorities in financing health care programs, including procurement by medical facilities, are being revised, and PPE procurement is expanding due to a reduction in other procurements, including medicines. Due to the difficult economic situation, the risks of incomplete and untimely financing of health care services increase.

Solution

All of the above will obviously affect the future of HIV programs. Therefore, it is necessary to make attempts to predict the near future and determine an action plan, to form service models that will ensure the effectiveness of measures to achieve goals 90-90-90.

Result

The ‘Partnership Network’ Association, with the support of UNAIDS in the Kyrgyz Republic, has developed a country plan for adapting HIV-related programs to work in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This plan has been submitted for consideration and approval to the CCM and the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, and we hope that it will allow us to switch from a mode of randomness in emergency situations and solving urgent tasks to support our key groups to continuing to work systematically to provide services to our groups and achieve goals 90-90-90.

It has already been decided tentatively that the plan will also include measures for tuberculosis and it will become more comprehensive, relying on it, our country can submit an additional application to the Global Fund, revise the current budgets of international projects and approaches to implementing programs.

This is a real achievement of the joint work of diplomats and the public. First of all – the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan, the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the embassies of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, which submitted appeals to the Russian government.