The Alliance for Public Health and the Global Fund’s Local Fund Agents (LFA) visited Belgrade to assess the current state of PrEP (HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis) services in Serbia.
The visit was conducted within the 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.
At mid-2025, 511 people in Serbia were receiving PrEP, with numbers expected to continue growing by the end of the year. Gilestra Duo is currently used for PrEP provision, costing approximately €40 per month per client. Services are available at three locations in Belgrade — two NGO checkpoints and one student polyclinic — while medication is dispensed through local pharmacies.
At present, PrEP is provided based on epidemiologists’ reports rather than standard medical prescriptions. NGOs offer counselling and client support but are not yet formally integrated into the national healthcare system. From the next Global Fund grant cycle, PrEP will receive expanded support: the programme will fund both medications and healthcare worker services, with a clear transition plan for these costs to move to the national budget over time.
During the monitoring visit, the mission met with Goran Radisavljević, iSoS Focal Point in Serbia, as well as representatives of Potent NGO and the Institute for Public Health, to review current practices, identify challenges, and outline next steps for further systematization of PrEP services. The mission also prioritized capacity-building and training for healthcare professionals, drawing on regional expertise from WHO and international partners.
This visit underscores the importance of building a sustainable, state-supported PrEP programme to ensure lasting and equitable access to HIV prevention services for all at-risk populations in Serbia.
