In Bălţi, Moldova’s second-largest city, the prevalence of HIV and HCV among people who inject drugs in Bălţi is disproportionately high. Despite the presence of harm reduction services throughout Bălţi, accessibility to these services remains a key problem. Barriers, including inadequate psychosocial support, employment and travel constraints, and fear of discrimination, hinder participation in treatment and harm reduction services. A notably prominent barrier is the pervasive stigma and discrimination exhibited by healthcare staff towards key populations, deeply rooted within healthcare settings. Approximately one quarter of people who inject drugs avoid medical care and HIV/HCV testing due to fears about their drug use becoming known. This is linked to healthcare personnel disclosing sensitive medical information such as a person’s HIV status, which can lead to stigma, discrimination and even dismissal from employment. It also hinders access to HIV services and breeds mistrust in the wider health system. Legal restrictions criminalising HIV exposure and transmission, drug use, and certain sexual activities further obstruct safe behaviours and service access. Though a national network of specialist paralegals established in 2017 has helped to bring justice to affected individuals, addressing these issues at their core is crucial for systemic, lasting change.

See also:

• City report – Amsterdam. Shaping the future of drug regulation from the ‘bottom-up’. 
• City report – London. The disproportionate harms of drug prohibition on oppressed peoples. 
• City report – Esch-sur-Alzette. Establishing a drug consumption room in a small-scale city. 
• City report – Warsaw. A critical review of the harm reduction landscape in the district of Praga.