Hasna and Bachir, two ALCS field workers, make their way through a squat frequented by drug users in Tetouan. In their bags, they are carrying leaflets about viral hepatitis and HIV, as well as sterile syringes.

In Morocco, almost half of people who inject drugs are living with HCV. Through its work on the ground, ALCS, a Coalition PLUS member association, provides them with information and preventive equipment adapted to their needs.

©Coalition PLUS / Seif Kousmate, Tetouan, Morocco, December 2020

Ali and Said (right), ALCS field workers, in conversation with Hamid, a drug user they had previously met.

Through this kind of informal visit, the community associations can stay in touch with people who seldom go to health centers. The visits are also a chance to pass on preventive measures and to hand out equipment to reduce the risks linked to injecting drugs.

©Coalition PLUS / Seif Kousmate, M’diq, Morocco, December 2020

Parked at the entrance to the medina in Tetouan, this ALCS van provides assistance to people with little access to health services.

People can stop by several times a week for a coffee, a snack, a chat, and for medical care.

©Coalition PLUS / Seif Kousmate, M’diq, Morocco, December 2020

On the banks of the River Yamuna, Harish and Sunita (left), two members of the DNP+ association, in conversation with drug users.

In Delhi, 2 out of 3 people who inject drugs are living with HCV. To combat the epidemic, DNP+ carries out information and prevention activities directly at drug use sites.

©Coalition PLUS / Nitin Rai, Delhi, India, December 2020

In a district in the old town of Delhi, DNP+ volunteers take people to the hospital for HIV and HCV treatment.

The association's information and awareness-raising initiatives among vulnerable populations have prompted some people to be tested and seek treatment.

They come to the DNP+ offices, and activists then take them to hospital to help them get treatment without the risk of discrimination.

©Coalition PLUS / Nitin Rai, Delhi, India, December 2020

“At 53, I’m the oldest and most experienced drug user living on the streets of Yamuna Bazaar [a district of Delhi, Editor's note]. I've been injecting drugs for 30 years, but I am so careful that I have never been infected by HIV or HCV! For ten years, I helped DNP+ make contact with the most marginalized and vulnerable. Today, I am a volunteer for the association. I help people like me to continue their treatment against hepatitis C and HIV.”

©Coalition PLUS / Nitin Rai, Delhi, India, December 2020

In Bogota, Kenny (left), a Red Somos community worker, explains to a trans woman the risks of infection from the hepatitis C virus.

A member of the Coalition PLUS Americas-Caribbean Platform, Red Somos has joined the “Regálate un Minuto” campaign. This national initiative developed by IFARMA aims to inform Colombians and raise awareness about viral hepatitis, as well as reaching the most vulnerable populations.

©Coalition PLUS / Nicolás Corredor, Bogotá, Colombia, December 2020.

In Bogotá, Laura (right), a member of Red Somos, gives information on hepatitis C to a passerby. As well as carrying out activities to raise awareness about sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV and hepatitis C, Red Somos campaigns to gain recognition for the specific nature of community-based interventions. In particular, the association is calling for concrete advances so that community-based organizations can effectively carry out screening for HIV, viral hepatitis B and C and syphilis outside the network of medical laboratories.

©Coalition PLUS / Nicolás Corredor, Bogotá, Colombia, December 2020.

Leidy and Laura, members of Red Somos, were carrying out an information and awareness-raising campaign on hepatitis C among passersby when they became caught in the rain.

©Coalition PLUS / Nicolás Corredor, Bogotá, Colombia, December 2020.

With the help of a volunteer, Eyta (right) gives out a prevention kit, including condoms and an information brochure on hepatitis C, to sex workers in the Chow Kit district in Kuala Lumpur. The initiative is part of a program launched by the Federation of Reproductive Health Associations of Malaysia (FRHAM) and the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC), a member of Coalition PLUS.

©Coalition PLUS / Syaiful Redzuan Md Noor, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, January 2021

Jega (the program coordinator), Gaik (the project manager) and Aziz Desa (a field worker helping people who inject drugs) are members of the TEMAN project team, an initiative launched by the Malaysian AIDS Council. TEMAN means "friend" or "to accompany". Set up by the AIDS Action & Research Group (AARG) with the support of Coalition PLUS, the TEMAN project aims to promote hepatitis C testing and treatment among prisoners. The project team conducts awareness-raising campaigns on hepatitis C, HIV, addictions and other related medical conditions inside prisons. The team also works with the prison authorities to identify individuals at risk of infection from HCV and provides individual support on their release from prison. The teams stay in touch with the former prisoners, giving them the opportunity to go for testing and medical treatment at the nearest public health center. The risks of transmitting hepatitis C, HIV and other infectious diseases are particularly high in prison. Repressive policies against drug users thus create a fertile ground for epidemics.

©Coalition PLUS / Syaiful Redzuan Md Noor, Penang, Malaysia, January 2021

In Semenyih, around 30 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur, Rusli talks to active drug users, explaining the consequences of untreated chronic hepatitis C. He encourages them to be tested and gives out clean syringes to reduce the risks of passing on HCV from injecting. Lastly, he shares information about the hepatitis C and HIV treatment programs and methadone substitution. Rusli has been a drug user himself for 25 years, and is now cured of HCV thanks to the treatments available in Malaysia. He is participating in the awareness-raising and preventive initiative as part of a program developed by Persatuan Insaf Murni Malaysia, a local association that is a member of MAC, a Coalition PLUS member.

©Coalition PLUS / Syaiful Redzuan Md Noor, Semenyih, Malaysia, December 2020

A CoNE activist asks a patient to sign a consent form before a hepatitis C test in a community health center in Imphal, about 100 kilometers from Myanmar. After samples are taken, CoNE sends them to a partner center for diagnosis. If the result is positive, the association will refer the patient to the national treatment program. The screening campaign took place during International Testing Week, launched by Coalition PLUS in November 2020. To reach people who have little access to health treatment, often due to discrimination or geographic distance, CoNE carries out up to two campaigns a month, covering all the districts in the state of Manipur. The campaigns are generally run on the premises of partner NGO and sometimes in public spaces with the agreement of the authorities. By focusing on the populations most vulnerable to hepatitis C, CoNE can identify a large number of patients, even with limited screening capacity.

©Coalition PLUS / Ronel Kongkham, Manipur, India, November 2020

“I started taking drugs in 2003. Since then I've often been to rehab centers. During the lockdown, because of COVID-19, I needed help with my drug use, but no center would accept new admissions. I took part in the screening campaign run by CoNE, which meant I could take the test for hepatitis C free of charge. When the test turned out positive, I was really sad. But CoNE helped me so that I could get free medical treatment, even though I don't have an identity card. Now I'm living in a rehab center and waiting to see if my viral load is still traceable. I'm paid for working in the center's garden nursery and pigsty. So I can give my family material support. I'm very proud of that!”.

©Coalition PLUS / Ronel Kongkham, Manipur, India, November 2020

“I haven't taken drugs for ten years, but I used to share my injection equipment, even the syringes. In 2011, I took a HIV test, which fortunately was negative. Later, in 2014, CoNE offered me a free HCV test, which was positive. I was depressed, because I didn't have the money to take more tests and even less to pay for medical treatment. Sometimes I wanted to take drugs because I was going to die anyway due to liver complications. But in 2017, thanks to support from CoNE, my diagnosis was confirmed and I was able to start treatment. Today, I’m able to run my car wash company without any major health issues”.

©Coalition PLUS / Ronel Kongkham, Manipur, India, November 2020

A patient arrives at a public health center in São Paulo for a hepatitis C test. Co-infection with hepatitis C is relatively common in people living with HIV, especially among marginalized populations. To promote hepatitis C testing and treatment, the member organizations of theState of São Paulo AIDS NGO Forum (FOAESP) have carried out awareness-raising initiatives in screening centers in the São Paulo metropolitan region. Community workers handed out information brochures, organized meetings with users and set up workshops. The patients responded favorably to the initiatives. In particular, community-based support made contact with health professionals easier. Moreover, the fact the patients felt they were accepted and understood helped to reduce their anxiety.

©Coalition PLUS / Ana Caroline de Lima, São Paulo, Brazil, December 2020

At the DNP+ premises in Yamuna Bazaar, Denzil Basil, a member of the association, distributes hepatitis C treatment to patients. Behind the counter, a field worker gives users information on reducing risks and adherence to treatment. Denzil Basil is the coordinator for the Access to Hepatitis C Treatment project, launched by Coalition PLUS with the support of Unitaid.

©Coalition PLUS / Nitin Rai, Delhi, India, December 2020

At the DNP+ premises in Yamuna Bazaar, Amar, a member of the association, gives out sterile syringes to people who inject drugs. He also gives them advice on reducing risks.

©Coalition PLUS / Nitin Rai, Delhi, India, December 2020

Deise Pires, a doctor at the HIV and HCV screening and counseling center, carrying out a rapid test. The visits to health centers by FOAESP member associations have boosted the self-esteem of patients. The number of people co-infected with HIV and HCV who have been tested and treated has risen. Moreover, awareness-raising initiatives carried out by community workers have helped improve the follow-up to testing and treatment at health centers.

©Coalition PLUS / Ana Caroline de Lima, São Paulo, Brazil, December 2020

Deise Pires, a doctor at the HIV and HCV screening and counseling center, taking blood from a user for rapid testing. Thanks to the feedback of peer educators, factors preventing access to testing and treatment have been identified, such as stock-outs and a lack of personnel and inadequate training of medical professionals. It has also enabled better coordination between municipal programs to fight HIV/AIDS and STIs on the one hand, and to fight viral hepatitis on the other hand.

©Coalition PLUS / Ana Caroline de Lima, São Paulo, Brazil, December 2020

Renny, a student from Venezuela, is given a box of antiviral drugs to treat HIV. As part of the program launched by Coalition PLUS and supported by Unitaid, ReColVIH regularly carries out HIV and hepatitis C prevention and awareness-raising initiatives for Venezuelan migrants.

©Coalition PLUS / Nicolás Corredor, Bogotá, Colombia, December 2020.

Laura is given a packet of condoms during an education campaign on sexuality and HIV prevention developed by the GAPOMARO association.

©Coalition PLUS / Nicolás Corredor, Bogotá, Colombia, December 2020.

Lalroukungi is living with the hepatitis C virus. Thanks to support from CoNE, she has access to medical treatment. Today, she works in an addiction treatment center. CoNE organizes regular visits to rehab or addiction treatment centers both to raise awareness among users and to train teams. During the lockdown resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the centers no longer accepted new patients. So CoNE opened its own center for drug users.

©Coalition PLUS / Ronel Kongkham, Manipur, India, November 2020

During a screening campaign organized by CoNE in partnership with the Ministry of Health, a health professional takes a blood sample for hepatitis C screening. If the test is positive, CoNE members accompany patients to health centers so that they can access treatment and care.

©Coalition PLUS / Ronel Kongkham, Manipur, India, November 2020

At the ALCS sexual and reproductive health center in Marrakech, Youssef (right), the PrEP program coordinator, is screening Ahmed, a user of a preventive HIV treatment during a check-up. Every three months, Ahmed goes to the center for the PrEP check-up, takes a hepatitis C, HIV and syphilis test, and receives his medicine. PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a very effective combination of antiretroviral drugs used to prevent HIV. Thanks to research and campaigning efforts by ALCS, the treatment has been available free of charge in Morocco since 2017.

©Coalition PLUS / Seif Kousmate, Marrakech, Morocco, December 2020

"I've tried a lot of drugs. For a long time I thought I would end up in the ground because of my addiction to drugs, I didn't think I could ever give them up... ALCS gave me hope. At first I was a user of the association's services, then I got more and more involved in awareness-raising initiatives aimed at drug users, which helped me face up to my addiction. At ALCS, I found values that I had never come across in the rest of society. It helped me recover my self-esteem and gave me the strength to live."

©Coalition PLUS / Seif Kousmate, Tetouan, Morocco, December 2020

With the help of a volunteer, Rusli, a community health worker, gets things ready for an upcoming mission aimed at drug users. As part of their screening, support and training activities, Persatuan Insaf Murni also receives people directly at its premises.

©Coalition PLUS / Syaiful Redzuan Md Noor, Semenyih, Malaysia, December 2020

"I’ve been taking drugs since 1995. I was a soldier, but I was discharged for using drugs, a form of discrimination that many drug users still suffer from in Malaysia. I tested positive for HCV in 2005 and was successfully treated in 2020. This is a photo of “Atok”, who died from hepatic fibrosis due to HCV in 2017. As a person living with HIV and HIV, a drug user and trans sex worker, Atok was able to help a lot of people in similar situations, including me, as a peer educator and community worker. Although she was able to save me by encouraging me to get medical treatment, my friend died just a year before the new treatments for hepatitis C became available here. Since 2010, I’ve been running awareness-raising activities and managing support groups for drug users, people living with HIV, trans people, sex workers and men who have sex with men, and who are looking for advice and medical treatment. I work with the Persatuan Cahaya Harapan association, a member of the Malaysian AIDS Council in Kedah".

©Coalition PLUS / Syaiful Redzuan Md Noor, Kedah, Malaysia, January 2021

Bella, a representative from the Malaysian AIDS Council, and Zack, a member of Persatuan Cahaya Harapan, host a group support meeting for the transgender community in Sungai Petani, a town on the coast of Malaysia. They provide information to participants and raise awareness about hepatitis C.

©Coalition PLUS / Syaiful Redzuan Md Noor, Kedah, Malaysia, January 2021

With the help of a volunteer, Mak Wan, a former drug user, prepares a meal in the "Warung Makan Sahabat" [“The Friends' Canteen”, Editor’s note] community kitchen. The food will then be given to people in need in the Chow Kit district in Kuala Lumpur.

©Coalition PLUS / Syaiful Redzuan Md Noor, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 2020

"I started taking drugs when I was 11. I’ve been in prison several times for using drugs, and I spent ten years in a rehab center. In 2016, I tested positive for hepatitis C. Fortunately, I had access to the new treatment. I'm now waiting for the results of my hepatitis C status. To support my community, I've launched my own initiative, the "Warung Makan Sahabat", which I manage with the AMAL Foundation in Kuala Lumpur. Since October 2020, I’ve been giving out free meals to drug users, single mothers and poor and homeless people in the district. With a budget of 8 Ringgits [€1.60, Editor’s note] per parcel, I can feed 300 to 350 people a day".

©Coalition PLUS / Syaiful Redzuan Md Noor, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 2020

In Bogotá, Esteban, a representative from the GAPOMARO association, facilitates a discussion about the risks and prevention of hepatitis C with a group of teenagers. Most of their parents are former combatants linked to illegal groups that took part in the Colombian conflict and are considered as a population at a high risk of infection from the hepatitis C virus. GAPOMARO is involved in the "Regálate un Minuto" campaign developed by IFARMA as part of a project coordinated by Coalition PLUS with the support of Unitaid.

©Coalition PLUS / Nicolás Corredor, Bogotá, Colombia, November 2020.

A group of women and sex workers listen attentively to a discussion about self-esteem and mutual respect during a workshop organized by the Cimientos de Luz association. Cimientos de Luz is involved in the "Regálate un Minuto" campaign developed by IFARMA as part of a project coordinated by Coalition PLUS with the support of Unitaid.

©Coalition PLUS / Nicolás Corredor, Sincelejo, Colombia, November 2020.

Rubiela, a trans sex worker, deep in thought during a hepatitis C awareness-raising workshop organized by Cimientos de Luz. Cimientos de Luz is involved in the "Regálate un Minuto" campaign developed by IFARMA as part of the project coordinated by Coalition PLUS with the support of Unitaid.

©Coalition PLUS / Nicolás Corredor, Bogotá, Colombia, November 2020.

As part of the support groups organized by DNP+, drug users take part in a laughter therapy session in a park in Yamuna Bazaar in Delhi. These activities are run twice a month and generally attract around 40 participants. They help to raise awareness among people with limited access to care, answering their questions, encouraging them to get tested and organizing trips to the hospital.

©Coalition PLUS / Nitin Rai, Delhi, India, December 2020

On the DNP+ premises in the Yamuna Bazaar district, Denzil Basil, the project coordinator, leads a support group session. The sessions can last between 2 and 4 hours, depending on the participants' needs. The participants all have the same health issues, and come to discuss difficulties and give mutual support. A snack is given out at the end of each session. These group sessions help reinforce patients' treatment adherence.

©Coalition PLUS / Nitin Rai, Delhi, India, December 2020

The center is run by the DNP+ and can accommodate up to 7 people at any one time. Here, users can have access to all the health services they need: medicine, sterile syringes, methadone, etc. To ensure its activities could continue during the COVID-19 pandemic, the DNP+ center received a subsidy from the Coalition PLUS contingency fund.

©Coalition PLUS / Nitin Rai, Delhi, India, December 2020

Prior to International Testing Week launched by Coalition PLUS, the CoNE team display messages to raise awareness about HIV, HCV and STI testing in the Model Treatment Center for hepatitis C at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal. The center was inaugurated in 2019 by the Manipur Health Minister. It works in close collaboration with CoNE, helping to optimize its work on the ground. Among other things, the association has helped to train staff and to improve the supply chain and use of screening equipment. CoNE also refers people who have tested positive for hepatitis C to the center during its field missions.

©Coalition PLUS / Ronel Kongkham, Manipur, India, November 2020

During an awareness-raising workshop at an addiction treatment center, a community counselor from CoNE explains about infections from the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and co-infection with HIV. He encourages participants to get tested and helps people diagnosed with HCV get access to treatment and care.

©Coalition PLUS / Ronel Kongkham, Manipur, India, November 2020

Younes, the national coordinator for the PrEP program at ALCS, and two activists take a break in the offices in Marrakech.

©Coalition PLUS / Seif Kousmate, Tetouan, Morocco, December 2020

"I’ve been doing chemsex [using psychoactive substances while having sex, Editor’s note] for several years now. I went to the ALCS clinic for the first time in 2013. I immediately found the psychological support I needed. I’ve often had unprotected sexual relations. I spent weeks worrying before I got tested. I learned a lot by going to ALCS regularly. The training they gave there helped me to face up to stigmatization and to protect myself from disease. ALCS has become like a second home. The people there support me without judging me, and allow me to be myself".

©Coalition PLUS / Seif Kousmate, Tetouan, Morocco, December 2020

"I’m marginalized because of my sexual orientation, but at ALCS, I feel welcome. I’ve found a place where I can express myself, learn and find out about my rights. In the past, I wasn't aware of the risks, and had unprotected sexual relations. Since I’ve started accessing ALCS services, I’ve taken care of my health. I protect myself, because I know about sexually transmitted infections. And now I’m raising other people's awareness too!"

©Coalition PLUS / Seif Kousmate, Tetouan, Morocco, December 2020

"I've been working with people living with HIV and HCV for over 30 years. I found out that I was infected with hepatitis C in 2018, during a routine check-up. Ironically, I'd just started working on the "Brazil Without Hepatitis" project, a partnership between Bem-me-quer, my own organization, Coalition PLUS and two other Brazilian associations, GIV and FOAESP. New medicine had just arrived on the Brazilian market, but at exorbitant prices! So raising people's awareness of the fight against hepatitis C was something that was very important to me. I threw myself heart and soul into the project. We put pressure on the pharmaceutical industry to lower their prices. We pleaded our cause at the Congress in Brasilia. We also asked the patents office to refuse to patent Sofosbuvir, a drug to treat hepatitis C. I fought so that everyone could have access to these medicines that had become essential to me in maintaining a good quality of life. It took me over a year to get hepatitis C treatment. In three months, I was cured. My next big challenge is to raise the Brazilian health authorities' awareness about the need to provide treatment for people who get reinfected".

©Coalition PLUS / Ana Caroline de Lima, São Paulo, Brazil, December 2020

"My grandmother died from hepatitis C. So when I tested positive in 2014, it was a real shock. At that time, hepatitis C was treated with Interferon. I went to hospital once a week for treatment, I felt very weak, I kept being sick, I had pains all over, I couldn't eat. After six or seven months, I had to interrupt the treatment because it was not only ineffective, but had caused serious anemia. I lost 22 kilos. Then direct-acting antivirals (DAA) came onto the market. So I could take the pills at home, choose the time, and there were no side-effects, no visible signs — which was the worst thing about Interferon. I was able to work, to do everything as usual and no one noticed I was on treatment. Today, I feel good. I keep track of my progress using something called elastrography, a form of medical imaging. In the past, they had to do a biopsy, which is invasive and means you have to stay in hospital. So I'm very grateful for the treatment. I've been cured."

©Coalition PLUS / Ana Caroline de Lima, São Paulo, Brazil, December 2020

Advocacy towards institutional decision-makers is one of the main activities of FOAESP. The organization's regular presence in the federal capital, Brasilia, has led to a great deal of progress. The federal budget now includes funding for the fight against viral hepatitis. The system of supply and distribution of medicines has also been improved across the country.

©Coalition PLUS / Ana Caroline de Lima, Brasilia, Brazil, December 2020

Brazilian congressman Alexandre Padilha making a speech in a Commission room at the National Congress of Brazil, attentively watched by Rodrigo Pinheiro, president of the State of São Paulo Forum on NGO/AIDS (FOAESP). FOAESP was able to unite deputies and senators around a common program to combat viral hepatitis in a parliamentary group on HIV, HCV and sexually transmitted infections. Alexandre Padilha is currently the group coordinator.

©Coalition PLUS / Ana Caroline de Lima, Brasilia, Brazil, December 2020

Rodrigo Pinheiro (right), president of the State of São Paulo Forum on NGO/AIDS (FOAESP) talking with Alexandre Padilha (left), a member of the Chamber of Deputies, in the plenary room of the National Congress of Brazil. Since 2019, the government has named July to be “Viral Hepatitis Month”. However, in the Brazilian federal system, states and municipalities are responsible for health issues alongside the central government, including for funding and deploying awareness-raising and prevention campaigns. Through the parliamentary group coordinated by Alexandre Padilha, FOAESP proposed an amendment to make this government initiative more binding.

©Coalition PLUS / Ana Caroline de Lima, Brasilia, Brazil, December 2020

FOAESP president Rodrigo Pinheiro has been campaigning for 15 years in favor of people living with HIV. "I'm a very determined person, I set myself ambitious goals and I try to reach them. I'm an activist because I believe in a better quality of life for people living with HIV. I’m also committed to human rights, so that everyone living with hepatitis C can have access to treatment."

©Coalition PLUS / Ana Caroline de Lima, Brasilia, Brazil, December 2020

Representatives of 5 NG0s, including the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC), a member of Coalition PLUS, and MTAAG+ meet to discuss and plan a hepatitis C campaign. In September 2017, the joint campaigning efforts of TWN, MAC, MTAAG+ and their partners led to a historic decision. Bypassing the patents held by the Gilead laboratory, the Malaysian government issued a government-use license to authorize the marketing of generic treatments for hepatitis C.

©Coalition PLUS / Syaiful Redzuan Md Noor, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 2020

"I started injecting drugs when I was 16. I was diagnosed with HIV in 2003 and started a treatment program in 2017. After several times in prison, I decided to stop taking drugs in 2010. Today, I describe myself as an activist for communities of drug users and sex workers. I’m particularly committed to health issues, sexual and reproductive rights and depenalization. One of the main reasons behind it is my desire to start a family. In 2017, I tested positive for the hepatitis C virus, but I was treated in 2019 and now I'm cured. Today, I work as a community counselor and peer educator. I provide my community with information about HIV, hepatitis C and sexually transmitted infections. I also encourage my peers to go for regular check-ups at the nearest clinics."

©Coalition PLUS / Syaiful Redzuan Md Noor, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, January 2021

Le président de CoNE anime une formation à destination des professionnels-les de santé dans un hôtel d’Imphal. Pour élargir l’accès à la prise en charge de l’hépatite C au Manipur, CoNE a élaboré un programme de formation, qui a ensuite été déployé en collaboration avec le gouvernement. Au total, CoNE a animé une cinquantaine d'ateliers de formation à destination des personnels de santé dans le secteur public et les ONG, mais aussi pour les coordinateurs de projets au sein des ONG intervenant dans le domaine du VIH.

©Coalition PLUS / Ronel Kongkham, Manipur, Inde, novembre 2020

Lors d’une conférence de presse, le Président de CoNE échange avec un représentant de l’industrie pharmaceutique et une représentante du programme national de traitement. Afin de promouvoir le dépistage de l’hépatite C, CoNE a organisé cet événement dans le cadre de la Semaine internationale du dépistage, initiée par Coalition PLUS. A travers ses actions de dépistage et de plaidoyer, CoNE contribue efficacement à l’amélioration de la collecte de données, ainsi qu’à la mise en œuvre du programme national de traitement.

©Coalition PLUS / Ronel Kongkham, Manipur, Inde, novembre 2020

Ricardo, a nurse and spokesman for Ligasida, hosts a training course on HIV and hepatitis C for a group of nurses and doctors at the Ligasida premises in Bogotá. Health professionals in Colombia are still insufficiently informed about hepatitis C clinical protocols. The health services have trouble meeting the needs of the most vulnerable communities, especially migrants, homeless people and drug users. People in these categories often have limited or even non-existent health coverage and generally no access to treatment. Community-based organizations challenge the inertia of the Colombian health authorities by regularly setting up training sessions for health professionals and health bodies. LigaSida is involved in the "Regálate un Minuto" campaign developed by IFARMA as part of a project coordinated by Coalition PLUS with the support of Unitaid.

©Coalition PLUS / Nicolás Corredor, Bogotá, Colombia, December 2020.

Katerine takes part in a workshop on hepatitis C and HIV prevention alongside other transgender women, transitioning persons and sex workers. As an activist, she works to empower the trans community in order to fight stigmatization and discrimination and to overcome the obstacles preventing access to diagnosis and treatment. The workshop is organized by Cimientos de Luz, one of the organizations involved in "Regálate un Minuto", the national campaign on hepatitis C developed by IFARMA in partnership with 20 regional community-based organizations.

©Coalition PLUS / Nicolás Corredor, Sincelejo, Colombia, December 2020.

Karine takes part in a workshop on hepatitis C and HIV prevention alongside other transgender women, transitioning persons and sex workers. The workshop is organized by Cimientos de Luz, one of the organizations involved in "Regálate un Minuto", the national campaign on hepatitis C developed by IFARMA in partnership with 20 regional community-based organizations.

©Coalition PLUS / Nicolás Corredor, Sincelejo, Colombia, December 2020.

Salaheddine Benarrab, coordinator at the Albori sexual health center in Marrakech, checks a HCV test.

ALCS's campaigning and awareness-raising work in favor of screening and diagnosis have helped achieve a wider roll-out of hepatitis C testing in Morocco.

©Coalition PLUS / Seif Kousmate, Marrakech, Morocco, December 2020

"Before I became an ALCS activist, I was a user of the association's services. After my divorce at the age of 28, my family rejected me even though I was pregnant. The only home I found was among drug users living on the fringes of society. In 2011, I worked with ALCS for the first time during a large-scale study of drug users in Tetouan. My role was to act as an intermediary between the association and users, to convince them to tell their stories and to get tested. Since then, I've taken several training courses and am now on the front line for raising awareness in the Tetouan community. I've taken part in several conferences and round tables to tell my story. ALCS for me is a school where I've learned things I would never have learned elsewhere".

©Coalition PLUS / Seif Kousmate, Tetouan, Morocco, December 2020

A DNP+ activist hosts an information workshop on hepatitis C in Delhi in front of 45 participants from around 20 NGOs. DNP+ has organized 8 events of this type to boost the capacities of local community organizations and maintain the same level of quality in medical treatment all over the country. The workshops also provide opportunities to lobby decision-makers who often attend the events.

©Coalition PLUS / Nitin Rai, Delhi, India, December 2020

"All three of us are from Nepal and have been living in Delhi for seven years. We are living with HIV and HCV. As we are all homeless, we decided to stick together and move to Yamuna Bazaar, where we can get support from DNP+. When the services are available, we have access to injection equipment which we couldn't afford with our day's wages. DNP+ members have gone with us to the hospital many times. Thanks to these local services, we were able to take all the diagnostic tests and access hepatitis C treatment. Today, DNP+ looks after our HCV treatment, keeping it safe and giving us our daily dose".

©Coalition PLUS / Nitin Rai, Delhi, India, December 2020

"I've been living on the street for 15 years. I'm a drug user and have been injecting heroin for 10 years. I try to stay near the DNP+ offices because they hand out injection equipment, when there is any, but also so I can ask for advice about the way I inject and reducing risks. Thanks to the meetings organized by DNP+, I've understood the issues linked to dangerous injections for drug users. This is also how I had access to HIV and hepatitis C testing and was able to find out my HIV status".

©Coalition PLUS / Nitin Rai, Delhi, India, December 2020