Because of lack of action from the National HIV/AIDS Program coordination work group, the city hall in 2019 took under its direct control the effort to improve the HIV situation in Prague, where most of the new infections have been concentrated.

The city hall work group for the prevention of HIV/AIDS issued in 2019 a plan to implement the National Program HIV/AIDS in the Czech Republic 2018-2022. One of the recommendations of the action plan was for Prague to join the Fast-Track Cities initiative. 

On 5 December 2019 Prague joined the Fast-Track Cities initiative. The declaration was signed at the Mayor’s residence by Zdenek Hrib, the Mayor of Prague, Milena Johnova, the city councilor in charge with social and health issues, and Bertrand Audoin of the organization Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), which was at the origin of Fast-Track Cities.

The Prague Pride association helped Prague join the initiative by facilitating the contact between representatives of the initiative with the city hall and other groups involved in the effort to fight the HIV in Prague (NGOs, but also doctors and members of the existing state structures that are active in the HIV effort).

About Fast-Track Cities

The „Fast Track Cities: ending the AIDS epidemics” was born from the Paris declaration, signed in 2014. It was initiated by the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, United Nations Human Settlements Programme and the city of Paris. Its goal is to facilitate contacts between world metropoles, helping them share experiences, data and successful strategies. The global network includes over 300 cities on all continents except for Antarctica.

The participating cities are promoting the UNAIDS-set goal 90-90-90: 

• At least 90% of HIV-positive people to be made aware of their status (testing goal)

• At least 90% of them to be cured with retroviral medication (cure goal) 

• At least 90% of them to reach the zero-load level -that is when someone has the virus in their body at minimal level, making contagion impossible (the cure and prevention goal)

The Paris declaration furthermore sets new milestones in the effort against the discrimination and stigmatization of HIV-positive people. Without eliminating discrimination and stigmatization it is impossible to reach the 90-90-90 goal. 

The Paris declaration furthermore counts with the participation of the city officials (local politicians and public servants), healthcare experts and NGOs active in the cities.

What does Prague gain from the Fast-Track Cities initiative? 

Prague’s joining the initiative potentially opens access to specific sources of financing NGOs and other organizations involved in fighting HIV in the city. 

It facilitates networking with regional leaders who in the frame of the new partnership with other cities can share their know-how at various workshops and other joint activities. Due to geographical proximity it is only natural to cooperate primarily with Vienna or Berlin, which besides are, just like Prague, sexual tourism destinations. 

In the case of the Czech capital city, we expect the adoption of a series of measures to ensure above all the durable access to reliable testing, eliminate HIV-related stigmatization and discrimination, close cooperation with the communities and groups at risks, with public health care officials, medical institutions and the police. That helps concentrate limited financial and human resources on effective and well-tested activities, leading to diminishing the HIV infections. A component of this is eliminating the fear to undergo tests and reducing the stigmatization and discrimination of HIV-positive citizens.