ECOM Signed Grant Agreement with Global Fund

The program’s goal is to contribute to increased uptake and retention across HIV services continuum for MSM and trans* people.

The goal will be achieved through several directions including advocacy of sustainability of HIV services for gay men and other MSM, and trans* people, improving the quality of strategic information on HIV epidemic in these key populations, strengthening communities’ representation in national HIV coordinating bodies, working towards enabling legal environments, and strengthening capacity of community-based organizations.

"We developed this regional program out of concern with a disproportionately low access to HIV services of gay men and other MSM, and trans* people in the EECA region, - said ECOM’s Executive Director Vitaly Djuma.

"The HIV epidemic among these key populations in our region continues to grow and ECOM, together with partners, will work on bringing attention of governments and stakeholders to the problem and finding common approaches to overcome it."

ECOM’s Secretariat as the Principal Recipient will implement activities at the regional (international) level, while activities at national levels will be carried out by sub-recipients in the five target countries: Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Macedonia.

The total budget of the three-year program is EUR 2,998,076, of which 30% will be directed to the activities of communities on national level and the rest will support implementation of regional-level activities, including programmatic capacity development of communities.

The program will run from January 2017 through December 2019 and ECOM is already preparing for its launch: a Call for Applications for sub-recipients in the target countries has been announced, internal procedures of the organization are being strengthened.

"ECOM is still a young organization and this is a very important step in the development of our coalition," - said Vitaly Djuma.