In Uzbekistan, more than 300 people took an HIV test through free test dispensers

In Uzbekistan, more than 300 people have already undergone self-testing for HIV using free vending kiosks. The test can be taken free of charge and without the involvement of a healthcare worker. The result of the saliva-based analysis is known within 20–40 minutes.

The placement of such devices is provided for by a presidential decree. The project aims to simplify early detection of HIV, including among labor migrants.

The vending kiosks are installed in high-traffic areas — at airports, train stations, and in public spaces. Currently, they operate at the Tashkent Islam Karimov International Airport, the building of the Republican Center for Fighting AIDS, as well as at the airports of Andijan, Namangan, Surkhandarya, Bukhara, Kashkadarya, Navoi, Khorezm, Samarkand, Fergana, Karakalpakstan, and the "Zaamin" sanatorium in Jizzakh region.

To use the device, one needs to scan an identity document, receive a test kit, and undergo the test independently. User data is entered into an electronic system — this is required for feedback, consultation based on the results, and referral to medical specialists.

Testing is conducted using a saliva sample, without blood sampling or other invasive procedures. Special laboratory equipment is not required for this.

If the test returns a positive result, it does not yet mean that the person has HIV. To confirm it, a laboratory examination must be conducted at a regional center for fighting AIDS. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the patient will be provided with free medical monitoring and treatment.

By the end of 2026, there are plans to install such devices in all regions of Uzbekistan.

Previously, senators of Uzbekistan approved a bill under which citizens aged 18 to 60 who have been abroad for more than three months must undergo mandatory HIV testing. It was also proposed to limit the employment of people living with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.