Bulgaria
Health Without Borders Association (HWBA), an AHF partner, was founded on May 15, 2004, in Sofia, Bulgaria, establishing the country’s first community-based HIV testing center, the 'Center for Sexual Health' (CSH). The CSH provides free, anonymous, and voluntary HIV counseling and rapid testing in a peer-supported, non-judgmental environment. It remains the only community-based free HIV testing center in Bulgaria.
In 2005, the Bulgarian Ministry of Health adopted the CSH as a model of good practice, using it to establish a national network of 19 voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) units. Until 2017, the CSH played a leading role in implementing Bulgaria's national HIV testing policy and gained widespread recognition as a trusted, high-quality service provider. Annually, the CSH identified up to 20% of new HIV cases in Bulgaria, offering free HIV counseling and testing to approximately 4,000 people.
In March 2018, the CSH was renamed CheckPoint Sofia, marking the launch of a significant project to develop and implement a community-based model for integrated HIV and viral hepatitis testing, prevention, and care continuum services. In 2023, HWBA collaborated with AHF on its first joint project, providing 2,861 free HIV tests, linking 44 newly diagnosed individuals to care, and delivering 474 counseling sessions to people living with HIV (PLHIV).
Currently, CheckPoint Sofia remains Bulgaria's only community-based HIV testing center, offering a peer-supported, non-judgmental approach in a welcoming environment. The service is rooted in a person-centered approach, covering the entire continuum of care—from rapid testing and assistance with diagnosis confirmation to linkage to care, retention in care, treatment initiation, and achieving sustained viral suppression. Visitors to CheckPoint Sofia can access testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as well as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) counseling and prescriptions.
CheckPoint Sofia serves populations at higher risk, such as men who have sex with men (MSM), as well as the general population. Annually, it provides HIV testing to approximately 3,000 people. The center also undertakes various activities to increase testing uptake, effectively reaching the most affected populations. These efforts include awareness and screening campaigns, online outreach, community events, media engagement, and direct outreach work.
HWBA operates one stationary service, CheckPoint Sofia, located in the city center. The facility offers free HIV testing, linkage to care, testing and treatment for STIs, and consultations with a urologist, infectious diseases specialist, and gynecologist. AHF supports the center’s free HIV services, including counseling, testing, linkage to care, support for people living with HIV (PLHIV), and outreach and prevention initiatives.
Elena Birindjieva
Checkpoint Sofia’s Director
+359 878 33 93 94
[email protected]
111, Tzar Samuil Street, Sofia
+359 878 33 93 94
https://hwb-bg.info/
https://checkpointsofia.info/
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