Managing HIV in the Eastern Mediterranean Region during the COVID19 outbreak: Challenges and opportunities

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a global pandemic and has had a significant impact on society, health and wellbeing in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). There is limited insight into the potential impact of the pandemic on HIV outcomes. This paper focuses on the challenges and opportunities for HIV management amid the COVID-19 outbreak and provides three key recommendations for the EMR: condom distribution and packaging in light of physical distancing measures through civil organizations; implementation of a special hotline for HIV/sexual health through community testing centers; and most importantly scale-up of the recently implemented HIV self-testing which plays a crucial role in the management of HIV during COVID-19.