Résumé
BackgroundThough sponsored by UNAIDS support program, Russia struggles to curb its soaring HIV epidemic. French authorities invited Russian leaders of the HIV strategy, medical institutions or civil society in December 2018, to discover the practices of their French peers. A bridging process designed by the Public Health association AREMEDIA and developed in partnership with Fernand-Widal Hospital’s testing center, to reach underserved populations, was shown. Merging associative and medical cultures, they created bonds with community associations to efficiently export free prevention, treatments and care for HIV and STIs, “outside the walls” of hospital facilities. In March 2019, they were mandated to detect dependable partners to transpose this method in the high-HIV burden Ural region.ObjectivesSelecting local political leaders, field associations and public health structures, jointly designing a project to adapt AREMEDIA’s model in Perm. Developing a training to implement locally outreach program in 2020.ResultsContractual partnership with 4 entities in Perm and educational program.Presenting the interventional methodology at Perm University Conference on “World AIDS day”, 1st December 2019.Theoretical and field trainings of Russian stakeholders to outreach sexual health interventions towards key populations, by associative and medical staff from AREMEDIA and the testing center in Paris. Practical support to implement outreach actions in urban areas of Perm from March to December 2020.Valorization of scientific results in Saint Petersburg International Conference, July 2020.ConclusionsConsensus found on a pilot training and research-action outreach program, approved by authorities. Advancing access to local key populations should foster switching the Russian strategy against HIV towards a comprehensive sexual health promotion paradigm, resulting among others in destigmatization.Key messagesSupport local stakeholders to promote equitable management of HIV and overall sexual health.Enhance socio-medical interface to reduce the hidden epidemic through reaching HIV key populations.