Eurasian Harm Reduction Association (EHRA), Eurasian Coalition for Health, Rights and Sexual Diversity (ECOM), Eurasian Women’s Network on AIDS (EWNA), et al. – 12 February 2026
Shrinking Civic Space & Marginalised Communities
A 2025 analysis of ten Eastern Europe and Central Asia countries finds that civic space for organisations supporting people living with HIV and key populations is increasingly restricted. Legal pressures, selective enforcement, and criminalisation limit freedom of association, assembly, and expression, while deterring engagement with health services. Civil society adapts through risk mitigation, though these strategies reduce meaningful participation. The report highlights community-led monitoring, strategic litigation, coalition building, and advocacy as vital tools to sustain HIV and TB responses under shrinking civic space.