Ukraine

Like many other countries, it is Ukraine’s marginalised – and often criminalised – communities who are most at risk from HIV. The rate of infection is particularly high among people who inject drugs. There is room for optimism, though: in 2019, the government began fully funding harm reduction and HIV prevention programmes from the state budget.

Our work in Ukraine focuses on delivering harm reduction programmes to the people who need them most.

DID YOU KNOW?

• 250,000 people are living with HIV.
• Only 54% of people living with HIV are on treatment.
• 22.6% of people who inject drugs are living with HIV.

Meet one of OUR PARTNERs

Alliance for Public Health (APH)

APH has been operating in the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia since 2008. We’ve worked with APH for 18 years, supporting their efforts to deliver HIV prevention services, along with treatment and care for other related health issues, such as tuberculosis and hepatitis C.

APH are harm reduction experts. They delivered Ukraine’s national prevention programme aimed at people who use drugs, sex workers, men who have sex with men and transgender people. For four years they managed our Community Action on Harm Reduction programme.

They are now working on our first harm reduction programme aimed at children and adolescents who use drugs, funded by the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

In 2019 the consortium, headed by APH, launched an HIV project in 14 countries in the region to ensure the sustainability of services for marginalised communities. The Harm Reduction Academy is continuing its work via a global training course to overcome HIV and hepatitis C among people who inject drugs.

OUR IMPACT IN UKRAINE

In 2019, APH:

• Reached 1.4 million people with sexual reproductive health and rights interventions including HIV.
• Enabled 400,000 people to take an HIV test and know their results.
• Distributed 18.5 million needles and syringes and reached 245,000 people with needle and syringe programmes.
• Ensured the transition of HIV prevention and harm reduction services to the government in Ukraine. During the transition, APH provided technical support using their expertise in implementing prevention programmes for marginalised populations in the region.