WINGS In Kyrgyzstan

WINGS of HOPE KG Kryla Nadejda – We adapted and evaluated the effectiveness of implementing WINGS combined with HIV counseling and testing (HCT) in harm reduction programs for women who inject drugs in Kyrgyzstan with GlORI Foundation, a local NGO and NOVIC a collaborative community advisory board formed for this project. WINGS of Hope expanded the screening tool and brief intervention to identify and address culturally specific forms of GBV (e.g. violence by in laws). This study, which was funded by the Open Society Institute, found significant decreases in the experience of physical and injurious violence from intimate partners (IPV) and others (GBV) from baseline to the 3-month follow-up as well as decreases in drug use, and increased access to IPV and HIV services. Over 90% of participants agreed to complete HIV counseling and testing (HCT) of whom 8% tested positive for HIV and all were linked to HIV care. We subsequently adapted WINGS of Hope for sex workers in Kyrgyzstan.  We are currently collaborating with GLORI and Novic to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing WINGS of Hope in a range of harm reduction settings.