Belarus
| National policy | |
|---|---|
| National policy/strategy or official recommendations on HIV testing? | Yes |
| National policy/strategy document | |
| Who can administer HIV tests? | |
| Restrictions on who can legally administer HIV tests? | No |
| Which groups can legally do HIV testing? |
|
| Further comments | |
| Free HIV testing | |
| HIV testing free to all who want it? | Yes for all |
| Further comments | |
| Is free HIV testing available? | Across whole country |
| Further comments | However there has been, both in 2015 and 2016, shortages of reagents for of viral load and CD4. |
| HIV testing restrictions | |
| HIV testing access restricted for some groups/populations? | No |
| Which groups are restricted | |
| Further comments | |
| Availability of testing in non-clinical settings | |
| Is testing available in any of the following ways? | |
| Postal HIV sampling legal? | No |
| Home HIV testing legal? | No |
| Community testing at NGOs legal? | Yes |
| Community/outreach event testing legal? | Yes |
| Other | Both finger blood and saliva tests are used in the community setting. Though it is not currently possible to buy a HIV test kit for use at home it is expected that this will be available from 2017 - a saliva test kit available in pharmacies |
| Rapid tests used by community based testing services/initiatives? | Saliva |
| Anonymity/Confidentiality of HIV testing | |
| Anonymous testing available? | Yes |
| If yes, please give details | In educational institutions, in anonymous counseling centers at NGOs. Testing is anonymous during rapid tests events. However if a test result is positive then ID Numbers will needd to be provided if wanting to access state health care. |
| If not, why not, what sort of information is required and is there any promise of confidentiality? | |
| Discrimination & equality | |
| Legislation | |
| Legislation protecting the rights of people with HIV? | Yes |
| Key documents | |
| Further comments | Important provisions in legislation include: That there should be no discrimination against people living with HIV / AIDS. However,there is no detail in the legislation that directly prohibits discrimination such as dismissal, denial of employment, denial of admission of children into educational institutions, denial of housing. That each patient in the country (including HIV-positive) have the right to secrecy of diagnosis. Compliance with medical confidentiality is also regulated article. 60 of the Act.There is also a ministerial decree (2014) stating the importance and committment of the government to providing free accessibility to ARVs as 'vitally important drugs for the Nation'Documents - only available in Russian currently are attached that provide the details of these 'protections' and undertakings. |
| Other key populations | |
| Needle exchange available for people who inject drugs? | Yes |
| Further comments | It is important to note that currently (2016) this is only provided in .anonymous consultation centers - NGO run and GFATM financed. |
| Opiate substitution therapy available? | Yes |
| Further comments | Access to opiate substitution therapy (OST) is limited and once again GFATM financed. |
| Are PWID (people who inject drugs) excluded from HIV treatment while actively using drugs? | No |
| Further comments | |
| Legal to sell sex? | No |
| Further comments | |
| Legal to buy sex? | No |
| Further comments | |
| Access to HIV Treatment | |
| Free access to HIV treatment? | Yes, for some |
| Further comments | |
| Status and access to HIV treatment and care in your country | |
| Access to HIV treatment restricted for certain populations with HIV? | Yes |
| Which groups are restricted? |
|
| If more than one of the above populations selected, please give more information | HIV treatment is available for displaced Ukrainians from the conflict situation in Ukraine but not other foreigners. |
| Status | |
| Country status | Non-EU / Non EFTA |
| Mobility in Europe | |
| Do the following groups/populations have legal access to HIV treatment? (i.e provided on the same basis as citizens of the country) | |
| Legal treatment access: Other EU migrant nationals | N/A |
| If yes but exceptions, please describe | |
| Legal treatment access: general non-EU migrants | No |
| If yes but exceptions, please describe | Only for displaced Ukrainians, no others. |
| Legal treatment access: Non-EU migrants with asylum/refugee status | No |
| If yes but exceptions, please describe | Only Ukrainians |
| Legal treatment access: Non-EU migrants who are undocumented | No |
| If yes but exceptions, please describe | |
| Further comments | HIV treatment is available for Ukrainians, who come to Belarus due to the conflict situation in Ukraine. Other than this one needs to be a national of Belarus. |
| About this data | |
| Last minor revision | 10 November 2016 |
| Last major revision | 17 November 2016 |
| Published | 8 October 2016 |
| Data sources | As well as responses from in-country individuals and organisations information was taken from the following sources:http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/healthtopics/aids/Pages/monitoring-dublin-declaration.aspx Sex Work Laws These included https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_by_country#Europe The Global Network of Sex Work Projects www.nswp.org and country sources and http://sexualrightsdatabase.org/map/21/Adult%20sex%20work and http://spl.ids.ac.uk/sexworklaw Drug use Needle exchange information was taken from Harm Reduction International who have an interactive tool https://www.hri.global/global-state-of-harm-reduction Criminal Law http://criminalisation.gnpplus.net has useful info about the criminal law and is searchable by country as well as http://www.hivjustice.net/site/countries/ MSM http://ilga.org/what-we-do/state-sponsored-homophobia-report/ (2016) |
| Data contacts | Responses were received from Belarus Community of PLHIV (www.hiv.by), The Association of Belarusian Guides (www.belguides.com), RMOO 'Meeting' (www.vstrecha.by) and individual respondent activists. |