Marc Eggenberger, Project Manager, Swiss AIDS Federation 

Mihai Lixandru, project manager at the Romanian AIDS charity ARAS in Bucharest, presented his recipe for success: four local checkpoints spread across Romania, each open on different days of the week – yet an important point of contact for people who want to receive advice and testing without barriers. 

‘Don't just look for obstacles, find solutions,’ Lixandru urged. His message: instead of waiting for funding for five-day opening hours, start small – one day a week in the premises of a gay club in Bucharest costs much less. 

PrEPpoint – a new model in Bucharest 

There are now four checkpoints, plus a PrEPpoint in Bucharest exclusively for PrEP applications. The PrEPpoint in Bucharest is breaking new ground: a dedicated centre focused entirely on PrEP complements the decentralised checkpoints. A second location is already planned in Cluj, embedded in a hospital clinic but with community staff. 

The service is available by appointment and with shared costs. In response to criticism that the staff are paid but clients have to cover part of the costs, Lixandru explains that the demand for PrEP is increasing, especially with rising HIV transmission rates in cities. Many people would therefore prefer to choose PrEP and pay a contribution rather than go without it altogether. 

Small, neat and effective 

‘We would all like to have a large centre like Checkpoint Barcelona, but not everyone can make that happen right from the start,’ he concludes. The message resonates: by focusing on the essentials, maximum benefit can be achieved even with minimal resources. This creates widespread access to prevention services – even where government support is still hesitant.