 Dr. Htun Nyunt Oo, NAP Program Manager, inaugurates MAM's PrEP clinic in Hlaingtharya. (CPI) On July 31st, 2020, HIV healthcare providers and other key stakeholders gathered at an event in Yangon to inaugurate Myanmar’s first HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) clinics. This marks a major milestone for Myanmar’s strategic response to HIV, and will contribute to the scaling up of HIV prevention efforts.
 Thiri devotes her life to helping others in her community living with HIV. Photo: Chit Su Wai Aung for Community Partners International Thiri, 37, found out that she was HIV positive during a routine checkup while pregnant in 2013. She was afraid and alone. “I was so scared that others would find out that I had HIV so I didn’t leave the house for a long time. I couldn’t tell my parents.”
 A mobile X-ray machine enables TB screening in hard-to-reach communities. Photo: Kyi Phyo Htet for Community Partners International Community Partners International (CPI) is supporting efforts to end tuberculosis (TB) in Myanmar by promoting access to TB testing and treatment for conflict-affected, hard-to-reach and under-served populations. A crucial element of success in reaching these populations is to ensure strong cooperation between the Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports (MoHS) and the ethnic and community-based organizations that provide the first line of health services in these contexts.
 Singer Aung La at the Don't Give Up Hope recording session in Yangon, Myanmar. Photo: Community Partners International On October 15, 2019, a group of Myanmar music stars released a new song and music video called “Don’t Give Up Hope”, sending out a message of support to people affected by drug dependency in Myanmar. The Myanmar-language song tells the stories of people struggling with drug dependency and the stigma and isolation that they often have to endure in their communities. It emphasizes the need for love, understanding and support from families and friends to help drug users to overcome dependency.  Hepatitis C screening carried out at the Myanmar Liver Foundation clinic Yangon, Myanmar, under the EQUIP Project. Photo: Community Partners International On October 9, 2019, national and international hepatitis experts and health providers gathered in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, to review the findings of a one-year research project led by Community Partners International (CPI) to assess a simplified antiviral treatment strategy for hepatitis C. Through this project, CPI and partners are seeking to demonstrate that effective treatment of hepatitis C in Myanmar is viable and affordable using new diagnostic and treatment approaches.
 Dr. Aung Yu Naing from AHRN at HR19. Photo: Community Partners International In the run-up to today’s International Harm Reduction Day, the 26th International Harm Reduction Conference (HR19) in Porto, Portugal, came to a close on May 1, 2019. With support from the USAID HIV/AIDS Flagship (UHF) Project, colleagues from Médecins du Monde (MdM), Medical Action Myanmar (MAM), Asian Harm Reduction Network (AHRN), and Community Partners International (CPI) had the opportunity to attend the biannual conference.
 A medical doctor leads a health education session for women at a Drop-In Center in Kachin State. Photo courtesy of Médecins du Monde To mark International Women’s Day 2019, we look at innovative approaches to reaching hidden female drug users and female intimate partners of men who inject drugs in Kachin State, Myanmar, with health care and harm reduction services.
 Photo: Htun Lynn Zaw for Community Partners International Daw Theint Su, a peer educator at Population Services International’s (PSI) TOP Centers (formerly the Targeted Outreach Program), has been living with HIV since 2003. Here she shares her experiences and talks about her work supporting HIV education and prevention.
 U Myint Thein Win. Photo: Shin Daewe for Community Partners International In cities in Kachin State, HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs (PWID) is nearly 50%.[1] To reduce transmission of HIV and other viruses through the sharing of contaminated needles and syringes, Metta Development Foundation (Metta) is working to increase access to harm reduction services such as the Needle Syringe Exchange Program (NSEP) at drop-in center locations. Harm reduction "is an evidence-based approach to HIV prevention, treatment and care for people who inject drug[s]," and is part of a wider strategy to address the high HIV prevalence among PWID in Kachin State. These services are supported by the USAID HIV/AIDS Flagship (UHF) Project, funded by USAID under PEPFAR through UNAIDS Myanmar with project implementation support and management to partner organizations. provided by Community Partners International (CPI).
In rural communities in Kachin State, people who inject drugs (PWID) and people who use drugs (PWUD) often face stigma and ostracization. This makes it much harder for them to access harm reduction and recovery services. Harm reduction "is an evidence-based approach to HIV prevention, treatment and care for people who inject drug[s]," and is part of a wider strategy to address the high HIV prevalence among PWID/PWUD in Kachin State. Through the USAID HIV/AIDS Flagship (UHF) Project, Community Partners International (CPI) is supporting local partner Metta Development Foundation (Metta) to help PWID/PWUD engage in community volunteering projects to broaden community perceptions and increase understanding and acceptance of harm reduction services.
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