Through the Vienna Express, AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW) is shining the spotlight of the world’s leaders, media and public on the HIV epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This region, which has faced such unprecedented social and economic upheavals over the past decades, is now struggling to contend with the fastest growing HIV epidemic in the world. The biggest drivers of the epidemic are injecting drug use and unprotected sex. Altogether, an estimated 1.5 million people live with HIV in the region, and a disproportionate number of them are young people.

More and more, calls to strengthen the region’s response and to invest in helping vulnerable people are being met with a wall of indifference at the political level. By spreading the word, supporting us and adding your voice to our campaign, you will help us win the fight for action not indifference!

AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW) is a Dutch, humanitarian, non-governmental public health organisation working to alleviate the burden of the HIV epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia through innovative, evidence-based programmes and international exchanges. Together with and for people living with HIV and affected communities, as well as non-governmental and governmental partners, AFEW carries out projects for key populations, builds accessible models of effective treatment, care and support and conducts advocacy on the most pressing issues.

Since its foundation in 2001, AFEW has played a pivotal role in many important landmarks in the region’s HIV response. Bringing new methods and approaches to the region, AFEW reaches the people at the centre of the epidemic – injecting drug users, sex workers, prison inmates, street children and at-risk youth. It was among the first non-governmental organisations to work in the Russian prison system, and it has since launched HIV prevention, care and support programmes in the prison systems of a further seven countries of the region. For a full breakdown of our activities, please go to www.afew.org