Kazakhstan

Key Results

Scaled up initiatives, including digital platforms, to increase access to HIV and sexual and reproductive health information among adolescents and young people.
Supported expansion of PrEP for key populations through capacity building initiatives and thanks to strong partnerships.
Supported communities in advocating for improved legislation related to HIV, leading to the successful removal of all bylaw regulations in the 2020 Kazakhstan Code on Public Health and Health Care System that created obstacles for people living with HIV to adopt children.

Joint Programme Results

In Kazakhstan, the Joint Team made significant contributions to improving access to services for all with focus on young people and key populations while addressing stigma and discrimination. A new study conducted in partnership with the Kazakh Scientific Center for Dermatology and Infectious Diseases showed that HIV remains concentrated and largely affects key populations, including transgender people (33%), sex workers (28%), and people who inject drugs (26%) (UNAIDS Secretariat).

Towards improving access to HIV and sexual and reproductive health information among young people, the Joint Team supported numerous initiatives including a social Hackathon, youth camps joined by nearly 150 people, Teenergizer activities reaching 200 teenagers living with HIV, a certified online training for 35 Y-PEER volunteers, ASPAN Chatbot providing over 200 000 young people with information and a SHYN.KZ digital information platform with over 65 000 subscribers (UNICEF, UNFPA, UNESCO, UNAIDS Secretariat).

The President of Kazakhstan signed a decree allowing private laboratories and nongovernmental organizations to conduct HIV testing for all demographic groups, including pregnant women following successful advocacy by civil society and the Joint Team. A national HIV self-testing protocol was developed and plans to decentralize and streamline HIV testing were strategically examined to improve curb new HIV infections and improve service access across the country as part of a regional project funded by the Global Fund (WHO, UNAIDS Secretariat). In Almaty city, the Public Fund Revanch received the Little Bus of Big Hope, a pilot mobile clinic to expand access HIV testing and psychosocial support among key populations, particularly women living with HIV, sex workers and women who inject drugs (UNODC, UNAIDS Secretariat).

In line with recommendations from the 2022 Stigma Index 2.0 study, key populations launched a national advocacy plan to amend discriminatory laws and practices and guarantee access to crucial HIV-related services for key populations in Kazakhstan, with technical support from the government and Joint Team (UNDP, UNODC, UNAIDS Secretariat). More than 20 activists from the LGBTI community are better equipped to report and collect human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity using the OSCE tool and advocate for the protection of human rights following a training conducted in partnership with the nongovernmental organization Feminita (UNAIDS Secretariat).

Engagement with key stakeholders, including parliamentarians focused on creating a supportive legal and policy environment for the HIV response and establishing a platform for parliament deputies and community leaders to address barriers to accessing HIV treatment (UNDP, UNAIDS Secretariat). In December 2022, following sustained advocacy by civil society and the Joint Team, the Ministry of Health removed all bylaw regulations in the 2020 Kazakhstan Code on Public Health and Health Care System that created obstacles for people living with HIV to adopt children. In addition, the Central Asian Association of People living with HIV, with technical support from the Joint Team, prepared a draft legislative framework to remove HIV infection from the list of diseases dangerous to others. Advocacy is ongoing to further enhance confidentiality and protections for people living with HV (UNAIDS Secretariat).