As part of its work to expand access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) across South-Eastern Europe, the iSoS project team continues to highlight and promote people-centered, practical prevention models in the region.
This week, representatives of the Alliance for Public Health and the Global Fund’s Local Fund Agents (LFA) visited Belgrade to assess the current state of PrEP services in Serbia. During the visit, they met with national partners and learned more about how PrEP delivery is being organized in the country.
One of the highlights of the visit was discovering real-life examples of good practice — and Potent, a community-based center in Belgrade, stands out as an inspiring model of how modern HIV prevention can work in practice: friendly, fast, stigma-free, and fully centered around people’s needs.
Community-Driven Prevention That Works
Let us introduce you to Nikola and Bojan – two exceptional PrEP counselors whose dedication stands behind one of the strongest community-based HIV prevention initiatives in the Balkan region. Both are medical nurses at Potent, and their MSM checkpoint is a true example of stigma-free, fast, and respectful service tailored entirely to people’s real needs.
Over just the past two years, 767 people have used their services – a number that speaks loudly about the demand for accessible and friendly PrEP care.
The model they run is simple, thoughtful, and effective:
- onsite testing for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C
- sending results directly to a doctor
- online consultation booking
- issuing a prescription
- and the option to immediately purchase PrEP at a pharmacy
Every step is designed to be convenient, supportive, and barrier-free – exactly what modern HIV prevention should look like.
Learn more about Potent’s work: https://potent.org.rs/prep-i-pep-2
“Accessing PrEP through pharmacies is an excellent and truly functional model, especially where PrEP is limited or unavailable in public clinics. Potent’s experience shows that simple, clear and accessible solutions can rapidly expand coverage. This is an approach that should be shared across other countries in the region.
When services are built around people’s needs and respect their experiences, they deliver real results.
We thank our partners for advancing PrEP services in Serbia, and within the framework of the regional iSoS project we continue to advocate for the expansion of PrEP across the Balkans.” – Nadiya Yanhol, Coordinator of PrEP Programs at the iSoS project, Alliance for Public Health
* Regional project “Sustainability of Services for Key Populations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) – #iSoS: Empowering and Innovations”, coordinated by the Alliance for Public Health and financially supported by the Global Fund.
