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Now more than ever, key at-risk populations need increased access to health services to combat the three epidemics of HIV, TB and viral hepatitis, something that was highlighted last year in the new World Health Organisation global health sector strategies on HIV and on viral hepatitis.

Last week the photo exhibition ‘Life in the Shadow’ was brought to the Netherlands by public Foundation ‘AIDS Foundation East-West in Kazakhstan.’ It was possible to see the images of people affected by HIV and tuberculosis during Wolfheze workshops in the Hague on 31 May – 2 June. The main goal of the exhibition is to reduce stigma and discrimination against people with HIV and tuberculosis.

At the end of March, the photo exhibition ‘Life in the Shadow’ dedicated to the World Tuberculosis Day took place in Almaty. AIDS Foundation East-West in Kazakhstan organized this event. The exhibition featured photos of people affected by HIV and tuberculosis. Today we will tell the stories of some of them.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a new HIV prevention method that consists of a daily pill taken by HIV-negative people to reduce their risk of becoming infected with HIV. PrEP is highly effective in preventing HIV transmission, as scientific research shows.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can effectively prevent HIV when introduced in an enabling combination HIV prevention programme and chosen by people at high risk of infection. The integration of PrEP into public health programmes has been presented as an opportunity to strengthen HIV prevention for key populations when implemented in a context of linked action for human rights, supportive laws and violence prevention. PrEP is recommended as a choice for people who inject drugs by the American Centres for Disease control and in the recent WHO recommendation, but some critiques of the value and or effectiveness of PrEP for people who inject drugs are emerging, including from consultations with people who inject drugs.

The theme of World TB Day 2017 is “Unite to End TB.” AFEW International’s activities are also aimed on ending tuberculosis in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In Kazakhstan, KNCV and AFEW-Kazakhstan are developing a model for structural collaboration between public health (TB, HIV, primary health care) and non-public sector through the DGIS-funded project in Almaty.

Side Event ‘Addressing and Reversing the Harms of Drug Control in Eastern Europe and Central Asia’ was organised by AFEW International, the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, the Andrey Rylkov Foundation for Health and Social Justice, and the International Drug Policy Consortium during the 60th Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna in March 2017.