Michael Krone (AAE) moderated the conference "HIV in Eastern Europe - the unnoticed epidemic?!" which took place in Berlin on October 17, 2017, organized by Aktionsbündnis gegen AIDS (Action Alliance against AIDS), Bread for the World (Brot für die Welt) and Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe.
Representatives of the German and Belarus Ministries of Health and International Affairs, civil society organisations and activists discussed how HIV epidemics in Eastern Europe and Central Asia can be brought under control. There are many barriers to overcome: stigma and discrimination, legislation against HIV service NGOs («foreign agent law“), criminalization, stock outs etc. Participants tried to find new ways for cooperation between Germany and EECA on different levels.
Find more information about the very successful conference and video message of Michel Kazatchkine, outgoing UN Secretary General and Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia addressing the challenges civil society is facing and the barriers that need to be overcome to end the HIV epidemic in EECA.
During the following two days after the Conference participants from EECA visited different NGOs, clinicians, community health professionals in Berlin who work for key populations: MSM, sex workers, drug users and migrants followed by discussions to which extent German experience and practices could be adapted in the particular countries.