Robert Carr Fund/2019-2021 Eurasian Regional Consortium

Eurasian Regional Consortium

The Eurasian Regional Consortium (ERC) is regional collective of three networks working to advance the health and human rights of inadequately served populations (ISPs) in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. 

 

Grantee type:
Regional Consortium
Grant:
$1,760,000
Grant period:
2019-2021
Lead organization:
Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA)
Partner organizations:
Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM)
Eurasian Women’s AIDS Network (EWNA)

 

The three networks are the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA), Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM), and the Eurasian Women’s AIDS Network (EWNA).  Together these networks have over 300 participating organizations from all countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

  • The Eastern Europe and Central Asia region (EECA) has one of the world’s fastest growing HIV epidemics, with 1.4 million people living with HIV and an additional 150,000 people contracting the virus every year. Approximately one in four HIV-positive people are undiagnosed and don’t know of their infection, and only a third of all HIV-positive people have accessed HIV treatment. The EECA region also has other significant HIV-related health issues such as high rates of tuberculosis (TB), hepatitis C (HCV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
  • The burden of these health issues is disproportionately borne by key populations such as people who inject drugs, prisoners, gay men, transgender people, sex workers, and migrants, who collectively represent more than 95% of new HIV infections in Eastern Europe and Central Asia each year. Yet according to UNAIDS, only 3% of total HIV expenditures in the region go for programming focused on these key populations. Total government health spending in large middle-income countries such as Kazakhstan is less than US$ 1000 per person per year and yet most countries in the region are considered too wealthy to be eligible for international development assistance.
  • Meanwhile, in several EECA countries, key populations are facing increased violence and abuse, and constraints on freedoms of expression and organizing. Ten countries criminalize or penalize people engaged in sex work, all have restrictive laws and policies about drug use and possession, and at least seven countries restrict provision of services without parental consent to adolescents younger than 16 years of age. The result: key populations cannot access quality health services or protection or redress for human rights violations, and therefore continue to experience worsening HIV epidemics and other health disparities.
  • To change this situation, the capacity of networks of inadequately served populations (ISPs) to organize and advocate is central to improving access to health information and services and to work with, and advocate with, EECA governments to affirm and protect people’s rights and create and fund appropriate services.

 

RCF funding 2019-2021

The Eurasian Regional Consortium (ERC) received US$ 1.76 million in funding from the Robert Carr Fund for work during 2019-2021. This funding was allocated to both core and strategic program costs across all three networks (EHRA, ECOM and EWNA) to help build the capacity of each network and to support collective action across the region.

 

Geographic coverage 

The Eurasian Regional Consortium (ERC) is a regional network that convenes and supports organizations and individuals in more than 25 countries. The three networks of the ERC — Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA), Eurasian Coalition on Male Health (ECOM), and the Eurasian Women’s AIDS Network (EWNA –).

 

Population coverage 

The Eurasian Regional Consortium (ERC) supports the empowerment, leadership, health and rights of all inadequately served populations (ISPs) with a focus on men and women living with HIV, people who inject drugs, gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people. Importantly, the Eurasian Regional Consortium has worked to support collaboration across all of these ISP communities with joint trainings, support for coalition building, work to align advocacy priorities and shared understanding of population needs, and efforts to advance a collective agenda and advocacy voice related to human rights environments, service accessibility, and funding for health and human rights.

 

Activities 2019-2021 

With RCF funding in 2019-2021, the Eurasian Regional Consortium (ERC) will:

  • Support organizational capacity building at the three networks and their member organizations. Specific capacity and operational support will include funding for each network to convene general assemblies and governing boards, engage in strategic planning, strengthen financial management systems and fundraising,
  • Support national organizations and community organizations in multiple countries to build inclusive coalitions involving all key populations and to engage with national authorities about health services and human rights of key populations.
  • Organize a regional EECA “feminist school” to organize and train women living with HIV and women from ISP to be effective advocates, provide small grants to conduct women-led community-based research of the national standards and access to sexual and reproductive health services for ISP women, and conduct a women-led regional campaign “No Excuse for Violence!” against gender-based violence in 12 EECA countries.
    Continue the implementation of a regional human rights campaign “Chase the virus not people” in eleven EECA countries.
  • Expand community-led monitoring of quality of services by providing small grants and trainings for community leaders to track the quality of HIV services and use this evidence for advocacy with health providers and country health programs.
  • Support national budget monitoring and other community-led research, policy work and advocacy in 15 EECA countries through trainings, small grants and mentorship.

 

Intended results 2019-2021

The intended results from this work during 2019-2021 will include:

  • Network strength and influence: Development and support of inclusive country coalitions involving all key populations to engage with national authorities about health services and human rights of key populations; and initiation of a regional EECA “feminist school” to organize and train women living with HIV and women from ISP to be effective advocates.
  • Human rights:  Ongoing implementation of a regional human rights campaign “Chase the virus not people” in eleven EECA countries, and implementation of a women-led regional campaign “No Excuse for Violence!” against gender-based violence in 12 EECA countries.
  • Access to services: Community-led monitoring of quality of services in 15 EECA countries to track the quality of HIV services and use this evidence for advocacy with health providers and country health programs; and initiation of women-led community-based research of the national standards and access to sexual and reproductive health services for ISP women.
  • Resource accountability: National budget monitoring and related community-led research, policy work and advocacy in 15 EECA countries.