Stalled Scale-Up of Opioid Agonist Therapies for HIV Prevention in Kazakhstan: History, Policy, and Recommendations for Change
Journal: Journal of Illicit Economies and Development
Year: 2024

HIV incidence and mortality are increasing in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and are concentrated in people who inject drugs. Maintenance with opioid agonist therapies (OAT) like methadone or buprenorphine is the best treatment for opioid use disorder and a key HIV-prevention strategy in the region. In Kazakhstan, the scale-up of methadone has been minimal since methadone&rsquo;s introduction in 2008 and has been supported through international charitable organizations. As the Republic of Kazak