April 11, 2024

Undeterred: Andriy Lemak’s Journey After War Injuries

Andriy Lemak, 48, and his wife Liuba are from the Carpathian mountains in west Ukraine. Andriy is a Boiko – one of three ethnic groups from this region. A builder by trade, he joined up in February 2022 to fight with the 24th Mechanized Brigade. The couple have three children. This is Andriy’s third rehab.  

INJURY

Andriy: “As soon as I heard what was happening, I went to the army recruitment office. Everyone knew there would be a war. Except those who didn’t want to know, who closed their eyes… I was on Maidan in February 2014, when so many people were killed. They shouted from the stage: Don’t run, because there will be a provocation! And then the boys were carried back as corpses. No one could believe that this would happen… And now we cannot believe that Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv are being erased from the face of the earth. Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia. We can’t believe it, can we?

I was in Donbas in 2014 and 2015, in Debaltseve. But when Debaltseve was captured, I was at home, we had a rotation. It was Christmas, and our command decided we could go home for Epiphany. So on January 12, I left for home. And Debaltseve began to be surrounded on 18 January. It was taken by February 19. I was very lucky, you could say…

I served for two months in the full-scale war. I was injured in April 2022, in Popasna. I came round in Uman. Аnd Dnipro, Pokrovsk – I don’t remember anything, I was in a coma for 10 days. I think they were pumping me full of something, because I was in the Atlantic Ocean, I was in the Arab Emirates, I was in the trenches…  and on 9 May I started to come to my senses. I started asking: Where am I? What’s the matter with me? Because the last thing I remember was the tank firing, nothing more… There were nurses, doctors – they thought I knew everything, but I don’t remember anything. Maybe they told me ten times. I know that I had this vision… I saw myself from above: My arm was hanging and all black. Because the same arm was torn open. My arm was black and I had no skull, only white brains. And I feel myself – look, my head is there… I couldn’t understand what happened to me, was it just a dream or something. Then I started to ask, and they explained. Then they sent me to hospital in Lviv. And then drip, injections, injections, drips…”

Liuba: “An acquaintance told us Andriy was wounded, but they didn’t know where he was. We called the hospitals ourselves and found him. After four days. The military had my number, but they didn’t inform us. Many boys were killed and wounded then… He was in Uman, and then here in Lviv, and I came to Lviv. They gave him an old phone, and I called him. He couldn’t pick up the phone by himself, especially since it was just a normal old one, so someone answered the call for him. I didn’t know at first that he would be blind. Later the doctor told me they had taken out one eye right away. And the other one they said was damaged. I was still hoping that he would be able to see, but it turned out the other eye was completely ruined.”

Andriy: “We went to Germany, to Dresden, and there they said the explosion had damaged my rear retina and it cannot be renewed… So everything died. Now I have two hopes: that technology is advancing and I will have an artificial electronic eye, and that this will not cost half a million or a million euros. If possible, that we can afford it. These are all our hopes.”

REHABILITATION

Liuba: “They found my number through volunteers and called us [about the rehab]. The first time, we immediately agreed, because he hadn’t gone anywhere at all. He liked it because there are guys like him there, and the environment is a bit different from home. They taught us bit each time. Every time they remind him, remind him, and it is already a little better. I keep repeating things to him, but his brain is damaged and he forgets… it’s his short-term memory, he can forget. That’s why he’s like this, a bit nervy. I remind him all the time, and he gets irritated. He has a metal plate; the entire front part of his skull was shattered. Sometimes he can chatter like a small child, when he’s in the mood. His hand doesn’t function well either, the bone was torn out… It’s hard for him to use one hand.

I get a rest here at this rehab. At home – family, routine, work, everything is on me, but here I rest from everything. I relax a little once a year.”

Andriy: “We have to be independent, move independently, understand what we need, learn to live in the world in which fate has put us. We have to survive. The trainers here help us… New people, new experiences, new skills. You don’t want to be alone somewhere, you are looking for new experiences. I didn’t know lots of things. You’re not interested, until you lose your sight. Like orientation — before, I didn’t understand, I was never interested or thought about it. Family problems, how to earn money, where to go…. and then you’re faced with the fact that you can’t see. For me, the first impression was that this is temporary, it will end soon. But it hasn’t ended in two years, and it isn’t going to end. These people show us, tell us things. We need to look for new incentives. New interests. We have to live. God saved my life, I still have children – I have to live.”

BACK INTO SOCIETY

Andriy: “We’ve got two boys and a girl. The oldest is 21. The second is 18, he’s studying at Lviv polytechnic. And our daughter is still at school…. The eldest is at Kharkiv military institute, but now he is in west Ukraine. He went to serve in Chernyakhovsky Defence Institute in Kyiv in September 2021, and in February 2022 our ‘soul brothers’ came. Our ‘liberators’. He was fighting right there in Kyiv. He has unrecognised concussion – one concussion isn’t even recognised as an injury anymore; you need at least two. It was a tragedy for my wife, both her son and her husband at the same time…

We live in a village, in the first mountains of the Carpathians. On the Dniester River. I walk around a little, if there is someone to walk with.”

Liuba: “It’s a bit difficult for him to walk at home, because we have dirt roads. But he can orient himself on earth and grass. And he remembers what is where. He can go to the shop himself, he can visit his friends. There is a little bridge and he can even cross the bridge, from memory. One time we were driving with him somewhere, and I didn’t know the road. He told me from memory where to exit, which building, which turn. Him speaking, and me with my eyes: that’s how we reached the place. He remembers everything that happened a long time ago. It’s what happened now, his short-term memory, that he can lose.

I’d never come across blind people before. And it was so difficult. I even cried, I didn’t know what to do with him. It seemed to me that I explained well how to go somewhere, but for him it was all wrong. And he was so anxious and irritable, and so was I. It took months to get used to how to cope with such a person. Now we’re used to it, we’re already making jokes: What, you’re not going to say where you’re going? He says he’s going to the neighbour’s. He goes along the fence and knows where to turn. I say: What did you say about not being able to see? You can see everything! That’s how we joke.

There is nothing difficult for me, because I can see. But for him… Well, sometimes he thinks it’s difficult for him. But he can do everything. He is so stubborn.

Our village is only small, but many of the men are in the army. They come to us, the ones who are serving. And Andriy reassures them that everything will be fine. That all is well. He always says that everything will be fine. He’s a positive person, he tells jokes. He also says that he was lucky. That there are some guys who are worse off. He says he was lucky.”

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March 24, 2024

2024 World TB Day in War-Torn Ukraine: a Story of Resilience

March 24th marks World Tuberculosis Day, and for the third year in a row, Ukraine marks it under the shadow of Russia’s brutal war. Despite the devastation – destroyed medical facilities, housing infrastructure, mass population displacement of both civilians and healthcare workers, blackouts, and countless hours spent in bomb shelters – Alliance for Public Health with all its partners continues to provide a strong response to tuberculosis, actively confronting all challenges.

Since the beginning of the war number of missed TB cases grew up. According to WHO nearly every 2nd TB case is missed in Ukraine. Alliance for Public Health focuses its efforts on innovative case finding at the most at-risk groups, providing medical and psychosocial support for both TB and MDR-TB patients, addressing humanitarian and other health needs, strengthening community response, and improving standards and policies.

We know how to end TB. We have the lifesaving tools to prevent, diagnose and treat TB, but we must break down the barriers and inequities that cause millions of people to suffer and die from TB every year.

The global community must act with a focused response that puts people and communities at the center.

Yes! We can end TB! #WorldTBDay

Read the Report:

 

 

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March 05, 2024

How war inspires women to realize themselves in the humanitarian field

On the eve of March 8 – International Day of Struggle for Women’s Rights – we want to support Ukrainian women who, during this devastating war, began to implement changes in Ukraine and became its strong rear.
Successful women are always inspiring: self-confident, strong, and independent. Every day, we see them around us, so fragile and unique, who are now creating the latest history. After surveying partner NGOs that work with the ICF “Alliance for Public Health” in the humanitarian field, we saw that this domain has a female face: 72% of the employees of such organizations are women, and only 28% are men. Today, we want to introduce you to a small part of these extraordinary Ukrainian women who work in the humanitarian field with great inspiration and love, combining career and personal life.
Anastasia Dyachkovska, coordinator of projects of the PO “Alternative”, Odesa region.
I became interested in humanitarianism when I volunteered at a public organization in 2018. At that time, I was getting a higher education, but I realized that I like social work. I gradually began to get involved in the activities: in 2022, I was interested in a humanitarian project, and in 2023, I was entrusted with a critical mission – I became the project coordinator and regional facilitator of initiative groups working in the Odesa region.
During my work as a facilitator, I got to know many volunteers and together we created the initiative group “Mothers of Many Children”. This is a rather vivid example of the grouping of internally displaced persons from many regions of Ukraine. Realizing that it is tough for women with many children to find work in Odesa, they united and created a children’s center where their children can stay during working hours. Currently, there are about 50 children of various ages. For many IDP women, this is a way out of a difficult situation because now they can work and provide for their primary needs. The center hosts educational events, master classes, and school preparation classes – these women offer all this.
Unfortunately, active hostilities continue in the Odesa region; the situation with shelling is relatively unstable; most men either went to the front or changed their residence due to active mobilization. Therefore, during the war, women began to take on men’s responsibilities and perform men’s work. For example, in our PO “Alternative”, only one man works now; all other employees are women. We women also do hard physical work, such as distributing food packages. But we do it with pleasure because we understand that humanitarian activities are essential for Odesa, as in 2024, funding has been dramatically reduced, and there is not enough money to provide for the primary needs of the residents of the region. Now, the head of the organization and I have an idea we want to implement – it is the opening of a kitchen for people who do not have money for food or cannot cook it.
Personally, I get a lot of inspiration from helping people. When I see people coming to us for humanitarian aid, food packages with their families, small children – how grateful they are and how much they need it – I understand that we are doing vital work. Looking into their happy eyes, I know I am in the right place and should do what I do!

Victoria Bobrynok, director of the “Safe Place” shelter, Lviv.
At the beginning of the war, I, like many Ukrainians, was forced to leave my home due to the occupation of my city and acquired the status of a displaced person. I have personally experienced all the troubles and pain experienced by displaced people, starting from psychological trauma and ending with thinking about where to live and what to feed the children. When my children and I arrived in Lviv at the train station, we were offered temporary accommodation in the school premises, where we had to sleep on cots in the gym. As a self-sufficient person, it was tough for me to accept this because I was worried about my psychological health and the health of my children. I found a home for us, but the thought stuck in my head: how hard it is for us (displaced people) now. We are thrown out of life and need to do something urgently to help. Before the war, in my community, I headed several condominiums, worked as a school director, and was a local council deputy – I have an active position in life. These organizational skills and enthusiasm helped me in my new position: first, I created the “Tokmak in Lviv” community, and later, when the Alliance and I found each other, I headed the “Safe Place” shelter.
At that time, there was an urgent need to create a shelter with appropriate conditions for IDPs. In the shortest possible time, a shelter was opened in the center of Lviv with standard furniture, orthopedic mattresses, snow-white bed linen, and restrooms. We not only create comfortable conditions for people to stay in the shelter but also provide a wide range of essential services, such as psychological and legal support, the assistance of a social worker in finding housing, informational and educational events and workshops for faster socialization and integration of IDPs into a new life.
During the shelter’s operation, we started the “Safe Place” children’s camp aimed at children from the front-line zone. We also have a Social Assistance Hub and a camp for future IT-related professions. Now, I have another idea that I plan to implement – to start a school of occupations in the medical field. This is a significant direction, and I want our children to have the opportunity to study and get to know the profession better by attending various meetings and excursions in medical institutions.
The staff of our shelter consists of 100% IDP women, and, unfortunately, all of us have our own homes under occupation. And no matter how difficult it is for us, performing both men’s and women’s work, we know that we are in our place here; this is our calling. When you like what you do, you start to initiate changes, you get “fired up” with ideas, you always try to improve something, and the more you do, the more resources you have to do more. The best thanks for me are those smiles from people when they are already settled and writing me, “Thank you for giving us a second life.” It is very inspiring and empowering!

Kateryna Horbyk, volunteer, and coordinator of humanitarian projects “Side by Side” and “Social Wardrobe”, Poltava
From the beginning of the war, I realized that besides my primary work, I would devote much time to the humanitarian field. When I discovered that the war would drag on, I wanted to support people and help more. And we, together with a team of volunteers, created a social wardrobe. This is our small contribution, which has become essential for the region’s residents.
With the support of donors, we receive clothes, hygiene products, and goods for children from abroad. At first, we distributed this help in communities, but later, the idea arose to structure it and make it possible for more people to receive these services. There was a need for things and it is not going anywhere. And before the beginning of the autumn-winter season, we understood that people would come, so we started preparing in advance for another problematic autumn and winter. In the premises of one of the warehouses, the work of the social hub was organized so that people who would come here for things could calmly choose what they needed, avoiding queues and crowds. We needed to create comfortable conditions for customers, primarily for mothers with small children and people with disabilities.
Everyone related to the work of the social wardrobe is engaged in it on a volunteer basis in their free time. In today’s realities, when men have been forced to stand up for the country’s defense, women have taken on a leadership role and do a lot of men’s work, such as unloading humanitarian aid vehicles. So far, our “women’s” team has distributed more than 180 tons of humanitarian aid. Starting in June 2023, during the seven months of the social wardrobe operation, 1,370 people from various categories of the population received help: IDPs, residents, families of military personnel, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable categories. Now, in the cold season, people are incredibly grateful for bed linen, pillows, and blankets. They don’t have anything to sleep on; they lack the usual basic things. Many pregnant women come, taking clothes and necessary things for their future children. The social wardrobe is not a one-time help; it can be used once a month. We had to set such a deadline due to high demand. We want to help everyone, but all our customers must be on equal terms.
Now, I am very inspired by my work because when you do something for others, there is a feeling of warmth inside. We women are very empathetic, and I understand that I cannot stop. When I see people who have lost their homes, relatives, and their usual lives – I try with all my might to help them, often investing my resources. But I can say frankly: I never doubted for a second that I was in my place!

For 23 years, the ICF “Alliance for Public Health” team has been helping to gain access to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of HIV, hepatitis, and tuberculosis, protecting people’s rights, and providing humanitarian support. After the start of the full-scale invasion, the foundation responded to the needs of Ukrainians with a wide range of humanitarian initiatives. In the first months of the war, together with more than 100 regional partners in Ukraine, the Alliance launched humanitarian activities in all areas of the territory under the control of the country and, in a short time, became an expert in this field, attracting more than 70 million UAH for the needs of ordinary people who suffer the most from the war. Evacuation, humanitarian aid, food, essential health services, drug delivery and diagnostics, mental health support, heating, uninterrupted nutrition, shelters and housing for internally displaced persons, ongoing human rights support through the REAct mechanism, online support (24/7) through HelpNOW became available for Ukrainian refugees in 51 countries of the world thanks to the implementation of humanitarian initiatives of the Alliance.
Additional Information:
In 1975, the UN officially announced that March 8 would be celebrated as International Women’s Day or the Day of the Struggle for Women’s Rights. Women’s Day is celebrated worldwide in different ways: in some countries at the level of a public holiday, in others – socially or locally. The UN celebrates the date in connection with women’s rights. In some parts of the world, the IWD still reflects its political origins, marked by protests and calls for radical change; in others, especially in the West, it is mainly sociocultural and focused on celebrating femininity.

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March 05, 2024

First habilitation center for veterans and civilians affected by war opens in Ukraine

“HAB | Lviv Habilitation Center” will open in Lviv on March 7. This is an initiative of the Alliance for Public Health in cooperation with the National Rehabilitation Center UNBROKEN.

“HAB | Lviv Habilitation Center” is a transitional barrier-free space that provides an opportunity to safely survive the experience of war in order to move on. Veterans and civilians who have already undergone physical rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN Center and need to adapt to new living conditions will learn new skills here.

The area of the habilitation center is 660 square meters. It has 9 rooms and 27 beds. It is planned that 300 residents will undergo rehabilitation there in a year. 

The habilitation process will be as similar as possible to what awaits veterans and wounded civilians at home. It will include independent cooking, shopping, and public transportation skills.

The idea behind the center is the term “habilitation,” which is the basis of the name and means a combination of psychological assistance, group work, and self-study. With the help of coaches, psychologists, and rehabilitation specialists, veterans and civilians will spend three weeks learning to be autonomous in an inclusive space and beyond.

The first residents of the center are:

Yana Kovaleva, a librarian from Avdiivka, was injured in the fighting and had her right leg amputated. She underwent treatment and rehabilitation at Unbroken. She is adapting to everyday life at the Lviv Habilitation Center.

Ilya Dmytryshyn, a soldier with the Air Assault Forces, was wounded during the defense of Ukraine. He was treated and rehabilitated at Unbroken. He is focusing on adaptation to the status of a veteran and a person with a disability, working on his psycho-emotional state and planning for the future at the Lviv Habilitation Center.

According to forecasts, after the victory in the war, there will be more than 5 million representatives of the veteran community in Ukraine: veterans, their families, and families of the fallen. According to the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, more than 851,068 war veterans are currently registered in Ukraine. In the active phase of hostilities, this huge number of people in need of assistance will only increase. That is why the opening of the first Habilitation Center in Ukraine aims to become a focal point for those who continue their life journey in a new context.

During the opening, it is planned to:

  • Presentation of the space and direction of habilitation development in Ukraine
  • Communication with residents and healthcare professionals
  • Participants will be able to join a kintsugi master class with veterans

The event will be attended by:

  • Andriy Klepikov – Executive Director of ICF Alliance for Public Health.
  • Oleh Bereziuk – Head of the psychosocial direction of the Centre UNBREAKABLE.
  • Oleh Bilyansky – Head of the UNBREAKABLE Centre.
  • Residents of the centre

When: Thursday, 7 March at 12:00

Where: 86B Stryiska St. (Park Tower residential complex), video on how to find us

During the opening it is planned:

  • Presentation of the space and direction of habilitation development in Ukraine
  • Communication with residents and healthcare professionals
  • Participants will be able to join a kintsugi masterclass with veterans

Contacts:

  • Anna Horkun, PM “HAB | Lviv Habilitation Center”, +38(067) 220-90-40 (WhatsApp), horkun@aph.org.ua
  • Inna Gavrylova, Senior PR and Communications Manager, Alliance for Public Health, gavrylova@aph.org.ua

About:

The Alliance for Public Health has 23 years of experience in implementing access and treatment sustainability programs for HIV/TB programs. Since the beginning of the war, a number of initiatives and programs have been launched: the Humanitarian Convoy, which has transported more than 1.2 million tons of cargo, launched the international emergency support and coordination program HelpNow HUB for Ukrainians around the world, we have expanded the range of services of our 50 mobile outpatient clinics, purchased bicycles in regions where social workers could not otherwise reach patients, and expanded programs to provide direct humanitarian, social and psychological support. Currently, the Alliance for Public Health supports 10 shelters for refugees and internally displaced persons across Ukraine.

The National Rehabilitation Center “UNBROKEN” is a unique place where adults and children affected by the war receive comprehensive, qualified medical care. This includes reconstructive surgery, orthopedics and robotic prosthetics. Not only do the victims receive prostheses, but they are also manufactured here. In addition, the Center provides physical, psychological and psychosocial rehabilitation for injured military and civilians. Since the start of the full-scale war, more than 16,000 Ukrainians affected by the hostilities have received help at the Center.

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March 04, 2024

The new partnership between Expertise France and Alliance for Public Health aims to support women with drug addiction and victims of violence

On March 4th, the official signing of the agreement for the start of a new project by Expertise France and the Alliance for Public Health Foundation took place. The project aims to provide comprehensive medical and psychosocial support to women with drug addiction under opioid substitution therapy programs, as well as support for victims of violence.

The project is designed for 3 years and focuses on a gender-oriented approach. “Our new partnership with Expertise France aims to expand access to critical medical services for the most vulnerable populations,” said Andriy Klepikov, Executive Director of the Alliance for Public Health. “We will work to overcome gender barriers faced by women receiving substitution therapy treatment.”

The project will be implemented in collaboration with the All-Ukrainian Association of Women Drug Users “VONA” and Frontline AIDS, in coordination with the Global Fund, the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, and medical institutions in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro, and Kryvyi Rih.

It is worth noting that the Alliance for Public Health already has experience collaborating with Expertise France on another important project. This is the “Mobile Treatment Points” (MTP) – mobile units providing comprehensive services in remote and liberated territories near the contact line.

“We are grateful to the French Ambassador to Ukraine Gaël Veyssière, the Director-General of Expertise France Jérémie Pellet, the Technical Director Eric Fleutelot, Arthur Langlois, and Natali Martynenko for their extraordinary support!”

Photo: Veronika Yaresko

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February 26, 2024

Responding to war: adaptation and innovation in Ukrainian public health programmes during conflict

Supporting communities in documenting experiences and solutions

Ukrainian state and non-governmental organisations and communities continue to provide crucial services for vulnerable populations in Ukraine, despite Russia’s invasion. Alongside ongoing public health challenges, huge new needs have emerged due to the war that has killed and displaced millions, disrupted supply routes, and destroyed social and medical infrastructure. OAT provision in Kharkiv, shelters for displaced people in Lviv and Krivyi Rih, TB screening in Nikopol, and mobile medical services in de-occupied frontline Kherson oblast are some of the experiences documented in a series of case studies by APH.

The studies, based on site visits and in-depth interviews, examine how organisations and services have adapted to working in both high and lower intensity conflict sites. A unique project in Warsaw, Poland helping Ukrainian refugees access medical and social services abroad is also documented. The experiences of Ukrainian medics, social workers, volunteers and project clients offer valuable lessons for planning and implementation of care provision in emergency environments, and provide a testament to their dedication, courage and innovation.

War response report

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February 26, 2024

Responding to war: adaptation and innovation in Ukrainian public health programmes during conflict

War response report

13_UA_UNRecommendations_Eng

15_KZ_UNRecommendations_Eng

2_Ukrainian Refugees in European Countries_FINAL

3_Strategic_Brief_Business Continuity

5_AZ_Analysis of Quality of Services Provided

6_CESCR

8_GEO_PatientsDiary

Украинские беженцы в странах Европы_РЕЗЮМЕ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ

10_TJ_CLM

16_PolicyDoc

7_MD_Evaluation of the opioid agonist therapy (OAT) program

9_KG_OAT_Satisfaction

11_MNE_HRSustainability

12_UA_UNRecommendations_Rus

1_Украинские беженцы в странах Европы_FINAL

4_Strategic_Brief_Social contracting

7_KZ_Study on continuous access to OAT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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February 23, 2024

HIV/AIDS in Ukraine: Two Years of War and the Role of the EU

On February 21, 2023, an important meeting took place in Brussels, organized by the Alliance for Public Health, Aidsfonds, and Friends of the Global Fund Europe.

The event began with opening remarks by Serhiy Tereshko, Deputy Representative of Ukraine to the EU.

The main topic of the meeting was the discussion on combating HIV/AIDS in Ukraine amidst the full-scale invasion by Russia. International experts participating in the event discussed effective ways of cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union on the path of Eurointegration in this field.

At the beginning of 2022, it was estimated that 245,000 people were living with HIV in Ukraine. According to the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, currently, 83% of people living with HIV who know their status receive antiretroviral therapy (ART). At the same time, 95% of them have suppressed viral loads, meaning that the virus in their blood is so low that it is undetectable through laboratory tests.

Christine Stegling, Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS, highlighted the powerful role of civil society and communities in responding to the HIV epidemic in Ukraine amidst the war.

Andriy Klepikov, Executive Director of the Alliance for Public Health, emphasized that “despite the large-scale war, Ukraine has managed to prevent a surge in the HIV epidemic. How? Primarily through cooperation between the government sector and civil society.”

“It has been two years since Russia began its brutal war against Ukraine. Despite the challenges, we have managed to keep the HIV epidemic under control in Ukraine. How? Cooperation between the government and civil society is key. When 14 million people became internally displaced, we transitioned to providing mobile services, working in de-occupied territories and near the front line. We are implementing artificial intelligence for better detection of HIV cases, and it works! It shows 37% better results compared to the traditional model. The HIV response has demonstrated tremendous flexibility: the number of clients in some areas of Western Ukraine has increased 15 times. We offer them an extended package, which includes not only HIV services but also addressing humanitarian needs, providing mental health support, and combating other diseases,” said Andriy Klepikov.

It is worth noting that since the beginning of the war on March 1, 2022, the Alliance for Public Health, with the support of the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and more than 100 international partners, launched initially the chat-bot service #HelpNow for operational assistance coordination for treatment access, and then emergency support hubs for Ukrainians in neighboring European countries. The largest number of Ukrainians traveled to Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Moldova.

An important aspect remains constant international support, as the war lasts longer than expected, and the country’s recovery cannot wait.

It is important that representatives of relevant structures, such as the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), the Directorate-General for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), took part in the meeting.

As a result of the meeting, it was decided to develop fruitful cooperation with the relevant structures of the European Union to ensure the most effective integration and cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in combating HIV/AIDS. A set of political recommendations will be developed and provided to all participants, and advocacy efforts will be directed in the coming months, covering various processes, including the accession process, Ukraine’s participation in relevant instruments, and the development of future financing instruments.


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February 23, 2024

Ukraine’s Resilience inspires as We Reflect on Two Years of War

The brutal invasion two years ago showcased the world’s stage the extraordinary courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people. As we reflect on this seemingly endless February, we at the Alliance for Public Health (APH) are proud to share how we have adapted, amplified our impact, and become even more efficient in the face of adversity.

On the anniversary of this war, APH Executive Director Andriy Klepikov declared, “Two Years of Resilience: APH achieved its most significant year in its 23-year history, expanding its support programmes by 40% while maintaining our core mission and responding to the war’s challenges.”

Since the beginning of the war over 1 million people in need benefited from humanitarian aid APH delivered. This vital support demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the Ukrainian people during these trying times.

Beyond humanitarian aid, APH remains a steadfast partner in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis. We are at the forefront of pioneering prevention initiatives utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and delivering mobile healthcare services to liberated areas.

Our efforts transcend national borders. APH continues to influence the implementation of sustainable HIV services by leading the largest regional SoS 2.0 partnership in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Join us in supporting the people of Ukraine as they navigate this ongoing crisis. Your contributions can make a real difference in their lives. Learn more and donate at donate.aph.org.ua

 
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February 23, 2024

APH Situation Reports on Supporting the Sustainability of Healthcare Programs during the russian War in Ukraine

In the situation of an unprecedented Russian aggression, the Alliance for Public Health is, as always, at the frontlines, fighting for Ukraine and its people. We remain with the people of Ukraine in the struggle for the sovereignty of Ukraine.


February 23,  2024/ HIV in Ukraine in the midst of the war

December 31, 2023/ 2024: strong, agile and resilient! Annual statement

December 15, 2023/ Summary report of #HELPNOW HUB for 2022 -2023: 20 months of continuous assistance for 37 thousand Ukrainians around the world

December 1, 2023/  World Aids Day: Resilience Amidst War

October 23, 2023 (stories)/ More than 218,000 Ukrainians received help thanks to new initiatives: people’s life stories and ways to overcome the problems brought on by the war

June 1, 2023/ On International Children’s Day Alliance for Public Health calls to prioritize more children affected by war in Ukraine

March 24, 2023/ UNBREAKABLE AGAINST TB: Situation report on World TB Day

February 23,  2023/ 365 Days of War: Ukrainian HIV/TB Response Stands Strong!

December 31,  2022/ #HelpNow HUB 2022: Support that can’t wait!

December 01,  2022/ War crimes and violations of the rights of key communities against the background of russian military aggression

December 01,  2022/ World AIDS Day: accelerating HIV response during the war

September 01,  2022/ #HelpNow HUB — 6 months being near you to help where you are!

June 20, 2022 situation report/ Humanitarian Convoys of the APH: 111 DAYS ON THE ROAD, 111 DAYS OF AID.
June 10, 2022 situation report/ VIRAL HEPATITIS C.
June 2, 2022 situation report/ 100 days of war. Alliance for Public Health: Response to War Challenges
May 20, 2022 situation report/ POST-OCCUPATION: regions liberated from Russian occupation.
May 6, 2022 situation report/ Prevention
April 28, 2022 situation report/ Internally displaced people and refugees.
April 8, 2022 situation report/ Humanitarian aid.
April 4, 2022 situation report/ Special issue: Situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson and Kherson region
March 31, 2022 situation report/ Special issue: Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT)
March 26, 2022 situation report
Special Issue/ Situation in Mariupol. Situational Report: response of Alliance to challenges caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine
March 21, 2022 situation report
March 14, 2022 situation report
March 8, 2022 situation report

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