USAID will present the results of its five-year Dialogue on HIV and TB Project at a closing conference on June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the conference hall of the Jannat Hotel in Bishkek. The Dialogue Project aimed to reduce the spread of HIV and tuberculosis (TB) by changing behaviors among people most at risk, including people who use intravenous drugs, those in prison, migrants, and people living with HIV. The project operated in Bishkek and Osh, Chui, and Jalalabad oblasts, collaborating closely with the Ministry of Health and other governmental, international, and public organizations.
The USAID Dialogue on HIV and TB Project provided a range of services tailored to the needs of each group of people affected, including information campaigns, peer-to-peer educational activities, and referrals to medical and social support facilities. The project also improved cooperation between governmental institutions and civil society organizations to provide better services for people at risk of contracting HIV and TB.
Over the course of the project, more than 50,000 people benefitted from HIV and TB prevention activities, over 9,000 received HIV testing and counseling services, and over 8,500 were screened for TB. Nearly 300 social and outreach workers received training on HIV and TB prevention and comprehensive support for people at risk.
A survey at the end of the Dialogue Project showed that people participating in the project were practicing safer behavior, such as using condoms and receiving regular TB and HIV screening, compared to those not involved in the project. For example, 92% of surveyed project participants were tested for HIV during 12 months preceding the survey compared to only 67.3% of respondents who were not involved in the project.
To learn more about the project, visit: http://www.usaid.gov/kyrgyz-republic/fact-sheets/usaid-dialogue-hiv-and-tuberculosis-project
For more information please contact Djamila Alisheva, coordinator of the USAID Dialogue on HIV and TB Project in the Kyrgyz Republic: +996 312 694202, 694203
