Countering HIV/AIDS

Countering HIV/AIDS

 

One of the largest activities of Convictus Ukraine is the fight against HIV/AIDS in Kyiv and Kyiv oblast. We implement HIV prevention, HIV detection and support programs for most-at-risk populations until they receive HIV treatment.

 

Target groups: groups vulnerable to HIV and their immediate environment

 

Activity components:

 

Prevention of new cases of HIV among the most-at-risk populations to ensure efficient response to HIV in Ukraine

 

The activity involves providing a basic package of HIV prevention services to representatives of most-at-risk populations:

 

– Counseling on safe behavior, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis, etc.;

– Exchange and/or issuance of syringes, distribution of condoms and lubricants;

– HIV testing services using rapid tests;

– Screening for tuberculosis.

 

Services are provided from the budget (state budget) upon agreements with the State Institution “Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine” in close cooperation with regional Public Health Centers, local centers for AIDS prevention and control, confidence offices, local health care institutions in Kyiv and Kyiv oblast.

 

Contact person:

Oleksandr Volontyr, Project Manager, a.volontyr@gmail.com
Valentyn Shevchuk, Head of directions, valentynshevchuk@ukr.net

 

Mobile clinic

 

Mobile clinic is an effective tool for bringing prevention and testing services closer to those who need them.

 

The purpose of the activity is to provide services for testing for HIV, hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections for people who do not use them due to the remoteness of the region or unwillingness to seek medical care.

 

Services provided in the mobile clinic:

 

– Testing for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, chlamydia and gonorrhea;

– Accompanying to the medical institution in case of a positive result of the rapid test;

– Counseling on health, safe behavior.

 

The activity is implemented with the support of the ICF “Alliance for Public Health” (funds of the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria).

 

Contact persons:

Oleksandr Volontyr, Project Manager, a.volontyr@gmail.com

Yuliya Tsarevska, Project Manager, juliastarry@gmail.com

 

 

Community-Initiated Case Management/Treatment

 

The purpose of the activity is to support and navigate clients of prevention programs for the prescription of ART and successful treatment of HIV infection.

 

Confidentiality is a key principle of case management that protects against the disclosure of information related to a patient’s health, including information about HIV status, the presence of other diseases, individual behavior, or access to certain services.

 

The activity is implemented with the support of the ICF “Alliance for Public Health” (funds of the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria).

 

Contact persons:

Andrii Kolesov, Project Manager, kolesov71@gmail.com

Oleksandr Volontyr, Project Manager, a.volontyr@gmail.com

 

Improving HIV detection and access to treatment among injecting drug users in Ukraine

 

Untimely detection of HIV in the group of people who inject drugs leads to high morbidity and mortality. These activities help reduce the spread of HIV, which in turn helps to prevent an exacerbation and the emergence of new waves of the epidemic.

New approaches to testing most-at-risk populations enable to target testing to the group with the highest probability of HIV-positive cases and to provide full support to an HIV-infected person in treatment.

 

The aim of the activity is to expand access to HIV treatment through effective detection of HIV cases in the community of drug users and providing social support for people in treatment.

 

Activities include:

  • Combining HIV detection among drug users and their partners;
  • Recruitment through social media for targeted involvement of persons in activities;
  • Providing support and assistance services to ensure adherence to treatment;
  • Improving the effectiveness of HIV treatment among drug users through the provision of support services;
  • Providing complete and reliable information on HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections;
  • Assistance to HIV-infected persons, the specified target group, in obtaining expensive diagnostics (CT, MRI);
  • Assistance in the diagnosis and treatment of comorbidities (hepatitis C, tuberculosis, etc.);
  • Encouraging people from this group to reduce risky behavior, seek timely treatment.

 

 

The program is implemented with the support of the ICF “Alliance for Public Health” with the support of U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.

 

Contact person:

Andrii Kolesov, Project Manager, kolesov71@gmail.com

 

Medical and psychosocial support of patients who started the OST

 

Opioid substitution therapy (OST) is the world’s recognized and most cost-effective method of treating people with mental and behavioral disorders caused by opioid use. The effectiveness of the program is influenced by certain factors: the correct choice of the drug, the correct dose, continuous and long-term treatment, the availability of treatment of to comorbid conditions (referral to HIV services, TB, integration of services, etc.), a combination of pharmacological treatment with psychosocial support measures.

In addition to its effectiveness in preventing HIV infection, OST also reduces the risk of hepatitis C infection, increases adherence to HIV treatment, and reduces the risk of overdose. Many injecting drug users first engage with health care providers through OST programs and then gain access to other health care services.

Our Organization provides psychosocial support for opioid substitution therapy patients in Kyiv and Kyiv oblast, which is aimed at maintaining patient health, resocialization and decriminalization.

The activity combines:

  • Counseling on HIV/AIDS, STIs, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, safe behavior and healthy lifestyles;
  • Providing psychological support;
  • Assistance in obtaining medical care;
  • Providing advice to relatives of patients;
  • Referral to other projects and services to receive comprehensive assistance and services;
  • Assistance in employment, registration of pensions, subsidies, etc.;
  • Work with medical staff to ensure a focus on long-term and strategic work with the patient based on human rights.

 

The activity is implemented with the support of the ICF “Alliance for Public Health” (funds of the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria).

 

Contact persons:

Yulia Pelypenko, Project manager, jp.convictus@gmail.com

 

Innovative Cooperation of Civil Society and the Health Care System for Effective HIV Detection and Treatment in Ukraine as part of the project HealthLink: Accelerating Ukraine’s Efforts to End HIV

Goals of the activity:

  • Increasing and maintaining the demand for high-quality HIV prevention and treatment services for people living with HIV and high-risk groups;
  • Increasing the number of people who know about their HIV status, have started and continue to receive care and treatment services;
  • Reduction of stigma, self-stigmatization and discrimination against PLHIV and most-at-risk populations.

 

The activity is implemented within the project HealthLink: Accelerating Ukraine’s Efforts to End HIV, implemented by the CO “100% Life” and ICF “Alliance of Public Health” with the financial support of USAID (United States Agency for International Development).

 

Contact person:

Maksym Maksymchuk, Project Coordinator, maksymchuk100@gmail.com

 

Ensuring Uninterrupted Delivery of COVID-19 and HIV Prevention Services

Our activities contribute to improving the delivery of services to reduce the risks of HIV in the vulnerable populations and prevent COVID-19 among social workers.

 

COVID-19 activities:

  • Provide transportation and/or reimburse the costs to get to the OST sites during lockdown restrictions
  • Bring new clients to PrEP and ART sites during lockdowns
  • Ensure uninterrupted delivery of HIV prevention services at street-based sites
  • Provide safe spaces for trans* people in crisis situations
  • Ensure support and home care for PWID with disabilities during lockdowns
  • Support KP members during the outpatient treatment of COVID-19

 

Implemented with support of Alliance for Public Health (funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria) in Kyiv and Kyiv region.

 

Focal points:

Oleksandr Volontyr, Project Manager, a.volontyr@gmail.com

Yuliia Tsarevska, Project Manager, juliastarry@gmail.com

 

Improving HIV Treatment Cascade for Key Populations through Differentiated Case Detection and Linkage to Care and Increased Capacity at the Center for Public Health and Strategic Information in Ukraine

 

Component: Scaling-up Access to HIV Treatment Services

 

The project is aimed at improving the access to laboratory diagnostics, early prescription of ART and retention in HIV care to achieve 95-95-95 targets in Kyiv and Kyiv region.

 

Project activities:

  • Ensure permanent deliveries of ARVs to patients to prevent ART interruptions
  • Ensure uninterrupted transportation of blood samples from ART sites to regional/interregional laboratories according to a pre-defined schedule
  • Provide naive patients and patients who restart ART with advanced HIV infection and/or low income with expensive diagnostic examinations (CT, MRI)
  • Offer legal services to help patients living with HIV to re-issue their documents
  • Ensure transportation of severely ill patients and patients with disabilities to health facilities for medical examination

 

The program is implemented with support of Alliance Public Health (funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)) in Kyiv and Kyiv region.

 

Focal point:

Yulia Pelypenko, Project manager, jp.convictus@gmail.com