Lithuania
- Population: 3.3 million
- People living with HIV: 1,200
- People receiving ART: 145
The Disease
While only 0.1% of people in Lithuana are living with HIV, the percentage of people who have been tested is likewise low, with fewer than 1 in 5 Lithuanians aware of their status. Free testing is limited for the people who need it most, such as the injecting drug users historically most affected by HIV, and access to affordable condoms remains a challenge due to conservative attitudes in the government.
AHF in Lithuania
In 2010, AHF began work in Lithuania through a partnership with Demetra, a HIV/AIDS organization based in Vilnius. Together, we provide mobile HIV testing for hard-to-reach groups, free condom distribution, social marketing encouraging condom use, and advocacy on treatment and testing access issues.
AHF and Demetra have built relationships with commercial collaborators and put them to innovative use. During a condom promotion campaign in 2010, the Lithuanian edition of Cosmopolitan magazine included AHF-branded LOVE condoms and a message asking readers to protect themselves and their partners. A McDonald’s restaurant near the main Vilnius train station participated in a testing campaign with Demetra by offering free meal vouchers to those who got tested at a nearby outreach tent.
Statistics from UNAIDS.org, 2011, unless otherwise stated.
