Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa and Tanzania (BtG2)

The program is aimed at three groups that are highly vulnerable to HIV:
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, sex workers, and people who use drugs. Mainline works within this program with the project for drug users.

Bridging the Gaps

• Associates health and human rights with each other,
• Brings together key populations: sex workers, LGBT people, and people who use drugs, and
• Links local work with international lobbying activity.

Goal

• Mainline focuses on drug users as one of the target groups that run an increased risk of becoming infected with HIV.
• Our goal is to reduce the HIV risks and improve the general health of users.
• We do this by changing social attitudes and government policies. And by improving access to harm reduction services (such as health care).

Bridging the Gaps is a cooperative effort of:

Mainline, Aids Fonds, AFEW, COC, GNP+, INPUD, ITPC, MSMGF, NSWP and is financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The programme continues: from 2016 till 2020! Read more

Our Bridging the Gaps projects

Indonesia

Kenya

Nepal

Pakistan

South Africa

Tanzania (BtG2)

Cooperation
In Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Pakistan, and South Africa, Mainline works with local partners, particularly non-governmental organizations (NGO's). We support harm reduction activities carried out by people in the field (outreach). We also help our partners to develop their organizations (capacity building).

Further, we find it important that specific services for drug users are integrated into hospitals and health care centres. This ensures that drug users will continue to have access to good care after the project has been completed.

All of the activities that Mainline carries out in the context of the Bridging the Gaps program are carried out in accordance with the prioritization of human rights. By working with a broad coalition of partners, we are also carrying out coordinated lobbying efforts vis-à-vis the authorities.

In particular, the International Network for People who use Drugs (INPUD) lobbies internationally on behalf of drug users. Together we are attempting to ensure that needle exchanges and methadone distribution are allowed and that forced withdrawal is prevented.

Project leaders

• Indonesia & South Africa: Hatun Eksen

• Kenya: Monica Carriere

• Nepal: Nick Veldwijk

• Contactperson Pakistan & Tanzania (BtG2):  Machteld Busz

Continuity of care

With our Pakistani partner Nai Zindagi, Mainline works to develop exchanges between developing countries (South-South exchange). In all of our work, we strive to achieve continuum of care.

This means that we also take into consideration the environment and socio-economic circumstances of drug users.

Read more about Bridging the Gaps?
Visit www.hivgaps.org or facebook.com/hivgaps

Results

All the results of Bridging the Gaps 1 (2011 - 2015) are summarised in a results report

Mainline is happy to be able to continue all our international work over the next 5 years under:

Bridging the Gaps 2
(2016 - 2020)

• Human rights situation of drug users
  For his master thesis, Leon Essink carried out his research in eight BtG countries. He also presented recommendations with regard to practical ways of preventing the violation of those rights.
  
  
• Drug users' access tot care
  For her master thesis, Tatiana Mouhebati also carried out her research in eight BtG countries.