Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) is one of two regions, along with Latin America and the Caribbean, where planning for the transition away from Global Fund support is most advanced.

The experience shows that most of the countries in transition take financial responsibility for provision of drugs and other pharmaceutical commodities while prevention interventions especially those being implemented through NGOs and CBOs remain not sustained. Governments have tended to put as a lowest priority in transition the support of CSOs, CSS interventions, advocacy related activities, HIV prevention interventions among KAPs and human right components.

There is widespread concern about how to ensure the successful transition from Global Fund and other donor support to reliance on national funding in countries. The sustainability of programs in a post-Global Fund setting, especially those targeted at key populations and delivered by civil society actors, is of particular concern. As a result, it is very important that the relevant transition planning processes start in country as early as possible, so that stakeholders can become prepared in advance.

EHRA considers ensuring of the sustainability of harm reduction services within the transition as one of the priority topics and is aiming to help to improve the local civil society’s understanding of the transition processes taking place in EECA countries, and to stimulate ideas, plans and opportunities for civil society’s engagement in such processes.