A new community-led public information campaign, It is in Your Power to, aimed at encouraging people living with HIV to start antiretroviral therapy has been launched in the four largest areas of the Russian Federation.

The campaign’s website has 12 “capsules” with inspiring stories told by people living with HIV. By “opening” the capsule, visitors can find out about people’s lives, find facts on antiretroviral therapy, ask questions and get help from peer counsellors on HIV-related issues.

All the stories deliver a message that being diagnosed with HIV does not define a person and that if people living with HIV start treatment they can live a long and productive life.

The campaign covers four major Russian areas—the Novosibirsk, Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions and the city of Saint Petersburg—where, according to the Federal AIDS Center of the Russian Federation, 200 000 people are living with HIV, about 20% of all registered HIV cases in the country.

“In the Sverdlovsk region, some people do not start treatment because they do not believe that HIV exists, some can’t accept their diagnosis, some are afraid of the side-effects of antiretroviral therapy and some have doubts about the effectiveness of the drugs. But the biggest obstacle is the fear of discrimination, fear of losing their job, fear of isolation. We believe we can address this by telling true stories of people living with HIV on treatment,” said Vera Kovalenko, Head of the New Life civil society organization. 

The campaign was initiated and developed by several community-led civil society organizations, including Humanitarian Action (Saint Petersburg), the Humanitarian Project (Novosibirsk), Light of Hope (Chelyabinsk) and New Life (Sverdlovsk), with the support of a regional SOS_project funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and in close cooperation with other partners in the Russian Federation.

Denis Kamaldinov, Head of the Humanitarian Project, invited people to get help. “If you know you are HIV-positive but are not receiving treatment, please contact us for help. We will help with the registration at the AIDS centre. And the treatment is provided free of charge at the expense of the state,” he said.

“Our mission is to fight for every life, to give hope to everyone,” said Alexei Tananin, Head of Light of Hope.