On January 30, 2024 the Regional Expert Group in Migration and Health held a Round table “Forced migrants living with HIV: social, psychological and medical aspects of adaptation in Georgia” in Tbilisi, Georgia. The Round table was held within the framework of the “Bridge of Help” project with support from Aidsfonds & ECOM.
Representatives of international organizations, health authorities from Georgia, as well as civil society professionals and activists attended the event, including Infection Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology Research Centre, Georgia, City AIDS Centres of Batumi and Zugdidi, Red Cross Society Georgia, IFRC, National Centre for Disease Control, ITPC EECA, as well as national NGOs such as Equality Movement, Temida, Bridge of Help.
The meeting brought together civil society experts to discuss the situation of migrants living with HIV based on the recent REG’s operational study, as well as develop an action plan to achieve systemic solutions to ensure HIV services to people on the move across the region. REG also presented a remote registration mechanism that could provide Georgian migrants with HIV leaving abroad with treatment. REG has initiated a dialog with Ministries of Health of all three countries of the Caucasus – Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia – to pilot a remote treatment mechanism in their countries.
As a result of the meeting a draft road map to support migrants was developed. During the 2024, REG is planning to work on identified barriers in the region.