HIV Prevention and Awareness Among People with Substance Use Disorders in Kazakhstan: A Systematic Review

Background: The aim of this review is to assess the available research on HIV prevention and awareness efforts among individuals with substance use disorders in Kazakhstan, in order to identify primary themes and subthemes. Methods: A systematic search of five databases was conducted using a pre-defined search strategy, according to the established guidelines. Key populations of interest: people who inject drugs, novel psychoactive substance users, youth substance use, men who have sex with men, female sex workers and migrant workers. Results: Forty studies were included. Within the people who inject drugs cohort, research themes were categorized into four groups: Project Renaissance, Project Bridge, optimized HIV case finding and no project. Among novel psychoactive substance users, research focused on novel psychoactive substance and polydrug use, prevalence rates, associated influences, and the impact of COVID-19. Studies involving youth substance users addressed the Kazakhstani Families Together intervention and COVID-19's effects. For men who have sex with men, investigations included HIV prevention trials with themes of novel psychoactive substance and polydrug use, HIV testing, early sexual experiences, and chemsex. Research on female sex workers examined interventions like Project Nova and Aegida. For migrant workers, research included the Silk Road Health Project with the following themes: alcohol abuse, sexual risk behaviors, and limited healthcare access. Conclusions: Despite Kazakhstan’s initiatives in HIV prevention, research gaps remain, particularly concerning novel psychoactive substance users, overdose prevention, bio-behavioral interventions, mHealth approaches, and illicit drug use pattern analyses.