Alliance for Public Health supporting people across the border (war in Ukraine)

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to over 4.6 million people fleeing the country and more than 7 million moving from their homes to other regions in Ukraine. Among them are many members of key populations who rely on access to health services and life-saving treatment. Preliminary data show that more than a third of clients from harm reduction programmes have not received vital services since the beginning of the war; 35% of people who inject drugs, 45% of sex workers, and 58% of men who have sex with men have not received counselling, sterile equipment for drug use, opioid agonist treatment (OAT), condoms, or HIV testing. Among the transgender population this rate is as high as 57%. Many of these clients have moved to Central and Western parts of Ukraine and tens of thousands of internally displaced people, many from key populations need to reconnect to essential services for HIV care and treatment, harm reduction, and tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, as well as humanitarian services.

Despite the extremely challenging context, the key priority for APH is ensuring uninterrupted treatment and provision of services to clients from vulnerable populations. Through #HelpNOW – an emergency service to help Ukrainians access treatment in Ukraine and around the world – APH, other non-government organisations from Ukraine and regional and international organisations are helping clients in transit in different cities in Ukraine who require support with treatment and information about moving abroad; supporting patients abroad to get access to OAT, ART, hepatitis and tuberculosis treatment and social services, and ensuring access to treatment and service provision to people from key populations who remain at home. Over 2,500 patients who receive care from Alliance-supported projects still have access to ART despite relocation to other regions and countries.