Is Kazakhstan prepared for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)? Master student majoring in International Public Health at VU University in Amsterdam Marieke Bak was finding the answer to this question during her recent internship with AFEW International. For this reason, she spent five months in Almaty, Kazakhstan, doing her research.
“For the past five months, I have had the opportunity to do an internship at AFEW International,” says Marieke. “From the start, I felt very welcome in this inspiring organisation and it was great to experience what it is like to work for an NGO. As part of my internship, I went to Kazakhstan to explore the potential implementation of a new HIV prevention method among men who have sex with men. The interviews were incredibly interesting and I learned a lot from the people I met. Moreover, I had the opportunity to do some travelling, which made me fall in love with the region. I hope to go back there someday and I will keep following the work of AFEW with much interest.”
The global HIV/AIDS epidemic remains a major public health issue. Among the countries with the fastest accelerating incidence rates is Kazakhstan, which is characterised by a concentrated epidemic among key populations. Addressing the epidemic requires effective primary prevention, but current methods are often of limited use. PrEP is a new method of HIV prevention consisting of a daily pill combining two anti-retroviral drugs, which has been found very effective when taken consistently. Generally, men who have sex with men (MSM) are seen as the target group for PrEP. As the most developed country in Central Asia, it seems that Kazakhstan could act as a frontrunner in providing PrEP. However, in order to inform the implementation of PrEP, there is a need to understand the awareness and attitudes of MSM towards this new method.
The aim of Marieke Bak’s study was to explore the possibilities for future PrEP initiatives in Kazakhstan by investigating the potential of this prevention method among men who have sex with men. You can find the report on the study findings here.
