“Don’t come here again,” Tabish* was told by a doctor when seeking HIV medication. “Why do you indulge in activities that require such medication?”

Based in sprawling Rawalpindi, near Pakistan’s capital, Tabish recalls their traumatizing experience during what should have been a routine health visit.

As a transgender person living with HIV, Tabish’s story is all too common among key populations – marginalized people who are disproportionately affected by HIV. In 2024, the UNDP-supported HIV Stigma Index Study 2.0 documented the impact of stigma on people with HIV in Pakistan. In healthcare settings, over 16 percent of transgender respondents reported being denied services because of their HIV status, followed by 7.6 percent of people who use drugs.

Experiences of discrimination are often rooted in social exclusion, which can begin early in life. “I left my home almost 10 years ago,” Tabish says, pausing briefly before adding, “my parents didn’t accept me – a transgender child.”

Leaving home also cut Tabish’s education short. “I studied till Intermediate (high school) only.” And like many others in this situation, Tabish never learned about HIV prevention and treatment, neither in school nor in social settings. 

Social exclusion, coupled with limited access to sexual health information, leaves many individuals vulnerable to HIV. Without adequate awareness, people may unknowingly engage in behaviours that increase the risk of infection. 

A positive HIV diagnosis often compounds their challenges: 17 percent of people with HIV reported facing discrimination from family members after disclosing their status, and 5 percent lost their jobs.

Pakistan’s digital gateway to HIV services

But digital technologies can empower people like Tabish to access healthcare free from stigma and discrimination. With support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UNDP launched Sehat Dost, a smartphone application providing HIV services to key populations in Pakistan, developed with key populations and community-based organizations (CBOs). Sehat Dost helps vulnerable people access HIV services, providing both preventive and post-exposure treatment and education to encourage healthy behaviours. 

Integrated with a portal developed by FHI360 and the World Health Organization (WHO), a standout feature of Sehat Dost is its one-click access to order HIV self-testing kits to your doorstep – providing privacy and eliminating the risk of stigma in health facilities.

This is one feature Tabish, who found Sehat Dost through a Facebook ad, uses frequently for their partner, who avoids physical clinics. “For us, getting the kit at home is the safest recourse,” they say.

Globally, UNDP supports people living with HIV and key populations to overcome barriers to HIV services like stigma and discrimination – a key component of the 10-10-10 targets committed to by countries, including Pakistan. These efforts include the use of digital technologies, which facilitate a more coordinated and higher quality care at a much lower cost, increase access to specialized medical expertise, help build more inclusive health systems and, particularly in the case of HIV, to access life-saving health services.

Sehat Dost, which allows users to maintain anonymity and does not require a mobile number or an e-mail address to sign up, also features an extensive resource library with key information on HIV prevention and treatment along with a self-assessment tool for HIV risk.