The project that began three years ago for the prevention of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in transgender women and men who have sex with men (MSM) will be extended for three more years.
This Thursday, the first phase of the project called “Costa Rica, a sustainable model of Combined Prevention and Care for the Population of Men who have Sex with Men and Trans Women”, known as the HIV-Costa Rica Project, showed its main results.
First, the organizers were able to reach 10 thousand MSM and 400 trans women. They were also able to provide education and timely and inclusive attention to stigmatized and vulnerable populations. In addition, 4,425 rapid HIV tests were performed on these people.
Alejandra Acuña, vice minister of Health and president of the Coordinating Mechanism of Country-Costa Rica, said that thanks to the initiative they were able to know the number of people that constitute these populations.
From the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), it was possible to go from having a service that gave attention to this population, to having five areas serving them.
Acuña commented that with the project they managed to raise awareness on the issue of prevention. Laura Sánchez, director of the HIV-Costa Rica project, highlighted that one of the most visible results has been the strengthening of civil society organizations.
The second phase of the project will be held between 2018-2021 and will be carried out in 13 cantons of the Greater Metropolitan Area where there is more prevalence of HIV, aiming at achieving stability of what has been done so far with the resources of social security.