We have been fighting for our land, independence, and freedom for over a year and a half. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused many critical situations for our society, such as damage to civil infrastructure, energy systems, government and military buildings, medical, educational, and social institutions etc. Thousands of people lost their homes, jobs, documents, and relatives and were forced to start their lives from the beginning in a new place both within the country and abroad.

“Our village was on the line of hostilities, so we constantly suffered heavy shelling from heavy weapons. It was always terrifying because the Russians placed the equipment right before our house. Once, we asked the Russian military to go to a nearby street to get milk (we always had to tell where we were going), and just then, the shelling started. We immediately hid in the cellar, and our house was already on fire. The house was completely gone in the evening,” recalls Oleksandr Mykhailovych, Shestovitsia, Chernihivka Oblast.

Women feel a double burden of responsibility, both for their own lives and for their children’s lives, peace, and health. Many women were forced to leave everything to save the future generation of Ukrainians. In war conditions, children suffer many times more due to the deterioration of their psychological state, loss of already acquired skills, friendships, and family ties, lack of access to safe places, and sometimes even adequate food and water. It is tough now for mothers who have children with special needs because they are one of the most vulnerable categories of the population and need more attention and care.

“Psychological correctional assistance is needed not only for children with special educational needs but also for those children who have experienced stressful situations. Such children include the majority of displaced children who came to a new area from the occupied territories or war zones,” noted the specialists of the “FIDES” Psychological Center, who organized a safe space in March 2022, where during the year, psychological and correctional services 120 children are provided free of charge.

People with hearing impairments face fewer problems during the war because getting the necessary help is tough. After all, there are almost always problems with translation into sign language.

“My husband and I are pensioners; we moved to Dnipro from Bakhmut. Our home is destroyed, and starting over at 73 is difficult, especially if you have health problems. Now, we rent a house and spend almost all the money on paying for the house. In humanitarian aid, we received a tablet with a translator. Now, we can receive remote assistance in translation into Ukrainian sign language, which greatly facilitates our communication with the world around us. When you find yourself in such a difficult situation at our age and cannot ask for help because you are not understood, or you do not understand – this translator becomes the only hope and support”, says 73-year-old Tetiana, IDP.

In general, all Ukrainians, to one degree or another, faced various challenges and needed or needed help. Sensing the need of Ukrainians, the ICF “Alliance for Public Health” and its 26 regional partners managed to quickly and effectively mobilize their forces and deploy humanitarian activities in almost all regions of Ukraine except the occupied territories in the first months of the war. This became possible with the significant financial support of the British Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and the robust technical assistance of the British charity organization Christian Aid.

As part of humanitarian activities, humanitarian aid kits are distributed to people, such as food and hygiene products, household chemicals or certificates for purchasing goods in supermarket chains, and certificates for buying medicines in pharmacies. Also, baby food sets, diapers, and other necessary goods are provided for children. Maximizing access to medical, psychological, and legal counseling, social support, and/or referral to partner organizations and specialized institutions (healthcare institutions, legal agencies, social assistance centers, etc.) became a significant and desired work direction. In NGO offices, shelters, modular towns for IDPs, and volunteer centers based on mobile dispensaries and train stations, in remote united territorial communities and regional city centers, experienced specialists work with people to solve their war-related problems.

• Evacuation and comprehensive advisory assistance

A young single mother, Alina was evacuated from Sloviansk to Dnipro with her newborn daughter. The woman was left alone with the child and needed support. Due to the war, young age, difficult situation, and the loss of her passport, the girl had neither the means to live on nor the ability to issue child benefits and assistance for IDPs. Alina was provided with specialist consultations, free accommodation, and meals in a shelter for three days, after which she and her daughter were transported to Kazatyn, Vinnytska Oblast, for further residence. Currently, she and her child are in a safe place, provided with free temporary housing and everything they need for living.

• Psychological assistance

“I turned to a charitable organization for help, stating that I needed psychological support. The center’s psychologist invited me to a consultation, and later, I started visiting her regularly, although I had never been to a psychologist before. Thanks to the interaction with the psychologist, it is easier for me to coordinate myself in various life circumstances, and my relationship with my children has also improved,” says Alla, a resident of Severodonetsk, who was forced to flee from the war.

Now the woman’s psycho-emotional state has significantly improved, she often participates in charity events, including as a volunteer.

• Medical and social assistance

“Treatment had to be postponed all the time: as a mother, I always worried about the children’s health first, and then about my own, if there was time and resources. Thanks to the humanitarian project, I received help and support through the necessary medication advice from a social worker on dealing with stress and employment. Currently, I have great motivation for employment; I am purposefully looking for a job; I go to interviews,” says 43-year-old Svitlana, a client of the OST program, Poltavska Oblast. – “I want to express my gratitude to everyone who responded to my request for help. Now, I feel relieved because the treatment has started, which is the most important thing. I am sure I will continue it, my health will improve, and it will be much easier to work and provide for my children.”.

“It’s even scary to remember how I ran away from Kherson with my little daughter. That’s what we were in; that’s what we ran when the opportunity arose to free ourselves. There was no money at all, and luckily for us, the employees of a charitable organization helped us get settled in a shelter. The only thing I felt then was helplessness and despair. It seemed to me that life was over, and there was no future. I practically did not sleep and felt fear constantly,” says Nataliya, an IDP from Kherson. When the woman sought help from the СO “СF “Public Health”, she was provided with safe shelter and consultations with all the necessary specialists. During the entire stay at the top, the woman receives free food, medical treatment, and counseling from a lawyer and a psychologist. Now, she has started attending trainings organized for residents of the facility.

During the project’s year of operation, 218,718 people received assistance, including IDPs, families with children, people with disabilities, representatives of groups most vulnerable to HIV infection, etc. Among these, 18,903 people were provided with food, hygiene, children’s kits, and/or medicines/home first-aid kits, 9,046 people found shelter in safe places, and 2,624 received targeted financial assistance.

The project actively supported community initiatives – this is when solving problems in a specific community is undertaken by the residents of the community, who have rallied on their own. Such motivated initiative groups could participate in open competitions held in 16 regions of Ukraine and receive funding for a mini-project aimed at overcoming specific problems or meeting the needs of community residents.

“Thanks to the implementation of the project “Glove – a warm and safe overnight stay at a police checkpoint for the needy,” we managed to equip seven police checkpoints and create places for people to spend the night, which are equipped with generators, heaters, folding tables, benches, machines for hot drinks and chairs for a comfortable stay. This made it possible to help more than a hundred people who left the occupation and did not have a home, as well as those who, due to the lack of light, electricity, and heating, did not have the conditions to spend the night at home”, – shares the results of the work of the initiative group from the NGO “Melitopol Voluntary Group “PATRIOT” “, who won funding to set up seven “Points of Invincibility”, which operate 24 hours a day and are free of charge for the temporary stay of people evacuating from the occupied territories.

From September 1, 2022, to August 31, 2023, funding supported 199 mini-projects of initiative groups from 20 country regions. Mini-projects related to solving a wide variety of community problems: from repairs, arranging temporary shelters for IDPs, bomb shelters, children’s playgrounds and premises for groups, repairing communications, providing fuel, opening sewing workshops, public laundries, kitchens, bakeries, and educational, corrective, rehabilitation measures. The results of such initiatives are still gratefully used by 153,935 residents of various communities.

For example, an initiative group of residents of Zastugna, Kyivska Oblast, thanks to the victory in the mini-grant competition, was able to furnish the premises of the village center of culture with furniture and equipment for holding various children’s groups, master classes, and teaching children from several nearby villages. In addition, separate rooms were equipped with a medical office. It provides free medical services not only to residents of Zastugna but also to other villages. “Our initiative group takes care of the improvement of the village, constantly compiles lists of needs, discovers new problems that need to be solved, and sets ambitious goals. We are happy that in such a difficult time for the country, there are projects of social orientation that help improve the lives of underprivileged sections of the population,” says Tetiana Pasichnyk, the head of the village.

A recent real-time assessment conducted by the international faith-based organization ACT Alliance has shown that an approach involving people and initiative groups to solve the problems of their communities is a best practice to support and strengthen plans to localize humanitarian aid in Ukraine.

“During the project, we were able to make sure that micro-grants enable initiative groups to quickly meet urgent needs and use the various opportunities of their communities to solve pressing problems. All initiatives come exclusively from communities that know the situation better and see the most effective ways to overcome challenges. This confirms the individuality and importance of this approach. We witnessed countless vivid examples of local ideas aimed at quickly overcoming the consequences of the war in Ukraine. It’s time to even more actively support people who do not sit idly by, but solve problems with their efforts, involving their community”, – Marina Varban, Senior Manager of the humanitarian support program, ICF “Alliance for Public Health”.

Summing up the year of activities of the project “Integrated Humanitarian Response in the Conditions of War and Post-war Reconstruction”, we can say that it was a good start; we have overcome this path with dignity and helped thousands of needy people. We have become stronger and wiser. But there is still a lot of work ahead. A large part of this work will consist of creating opportunities for forming and developing local initiatives, ensuring the availability of resources and assistance in their effective use to support all who will need them.

To this end, the ICF ” Alliance for Public Health” will continue to provide sub-grants to regional partner NGOs and will regularly announce open mini-grant competitions on its website https://aph.org.ua/uk/tendery/programni-konkursy/

Additional Information:

For 23 years, the ICF ” Alliance for Public Health» team has been helping people gain access to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of HIV, hepatitis, and tuberculosis, protecting human rights, and providing humanitarian support. The organization has extensive experience in successfully implementing complex, large-scale interventions in all regions of Ukraine in fruitful cooperation with NGOs, key communities, state, communal, and private institutions, business structures, etc.

GF-funded and implemented by Alliance for Public Health SoS project includes WHO Europe and PAS Center activities on HIV diagnostics reforms in EECA that would lead to improvement in the first 95% for the region – to elevate it from current just above 60%. As part of this endeavor, a meeting was held in Ankara uniting expertise of WHO Europe, PAS Center, HIV and laboratory services from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, on 19-21 September 2023.

Low-threshold, early and rapid HIV detection is crucial to stopping HIV epidemics in EECA – most HIV transmissions (10-50%) occur from PLHIV in acute stages of HIV (within the first 10-12 weeks of infection). Thus, those HIV tests that can make earliest detection of HIV (e.g. 4^th generation RDT – at the 17^th day of infection) should be prioritized compared to methods that do later HIV detection (western blot or WB, at 36^th day of infection or later, when antibodies develop). WHO recommends three consecutive rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) as a standard of HIV infection diagnostics and not using WB; this would allow both early (starting early days of infection), accurate (99% accuracy) and rapid (within one hour) diagnostics.

Most EECA countries are still far from 3 RDT standard for diagnostics (Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Ukraine constitute bright exceptions) and heavily rely on laboratory diagnostics. For various reasons: fear of ‘inaccurate’ diagnosis without laboratory involvement, lack of registered tests in country to ensure accurate diagnostic test combination, fear of laboratories staff losing jobs. Also 3 out of the 9 countries present in the meeting use WB not recommended by WHO.

The SoS project meeting very importantly stressed that upon transition to 3 RDT algorithm laboratories will continue to be significantly involved – in the first place to control and thus facilitate improvement of the quality of testing (through development of guidance, staff training, facilitation of external quality control, monitoring and research etc). Just to give example, Ukraine has 25,000 sites for HIV testing and 30 regional laboratories – thus national reference laboratory of Ukraine has a lot of work to do to insure HIV testing quality control.

Interesting experience on HIV testing optimization was shared by Moldova which in its current HIV diagnostic algorithm uses  2 rapid tests and GeneXpert VL testing. This approach allowed diagnosing 56% of all new HIV cases in 2022 in just one day.

It is very inspiring that this consultative and exchange work, like the meeting in Ankara, is delivering results for the simplification of HIV testing algorithms in countries. For example, Kazakhstan is now in process to revise its testing algorithm to move from WB and centralized testing algorithm to 3 RDT without WB; this will allow to shorten HIV diagnosis time from the current 3-5 days to below 2 days. It is also foreseen that with the SoS project funding WHO Europe will support the conduct of verification studies for RDT combination in Kazakhstan and Georgia to inform the modification of HIV testing algorithms to the one based on 3 RDT.

Head of Laboratory of Kazakhstan HIV service Galiya Tajibaeva,  present in Ankara meeting, shares: ‘Within the SoS project the comparative analysis of cost effectiveness of current HIV testing algorithm in Kazakhstan with the WHO recommended one was conducted. Its conclusions were very instrumental for further work on implementing new HIV testing strategy in republic of Kazakhstan.’

On 10 August 2023, from 11:30 to 13:00 (EEST, UTC+3), an online presentation of the policy brief “ARV price reduction mechanisms in Eastern Europe and Central Asia” will be held for the attention of stakeholders from the EECA and SEE regions.

Pre-registration for the event: https://goo.su/Mzc5lN

The region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) has one of the fastest-growing HIV rates in the world. New HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths are increasing rather than decreasing. The main HIV treatment and key to controlling the HIV epidemic globally is antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Generic versions of antiretrovirals (ARVs) and support from international donors to procure them mean that they are widely available at a relatively low cost. Despite this, countries in EECA pay more than other global regions for this life-saving treatment. High prices can be attributed partly to government corruption, such as overly complicated procurement processes, limited competition and intellectual property and trade framework restrictions.

Many low- and middle-income countries rely heavily on support from donor funds to procure ARVs and control the HIV epidemic, yet there have been reductions in donor funds across the globe. The event will feature a report by The Economist Impact researchers who have studied pricing and compiled information on the mechanisms of reducing prices for antiretroviral drugs in Eastern Europe and Central Asia into a single guide.

Event agenda

11.30 – 11.35    Welcome, introduction to the webinar 

                              Moderator: Tetiana Deshko, Alliance for Public Health

11.35 – 11.50    Presentation of ARV policy brief on ARV price reduction mechanisms in EECA

                              Aanisah Khanzada, The Economist

11.50 – 12.05   MPP role in ARV price reduction

                              Esteban Burrone, Medicines Patent Pool

12.05 – 12.20   ARV price reduction trends: 2019-2021 vs. 2022

                               Sergii Dmytiiev, HAC

12.20 – 12.35    GF involvement in ARV price reduction in EECA

                                Ganna Bolokhovets, The Global Fund

12.35 – 12.55    Q&A, discussion

                               Moderator: Tetiana Deshko, Alliance for Public Health

12.55 – 13.00    Closing remarks

Join us! Pre-registration for the event: https://goo.su/Mzc5lN

This report looks at initiatives and solutions to reduce ART prices in five EECA countries that are experiencing funding changes:

• Improving ART price transparency: National governments must publish procurement documents and pricing information to encourage efficient pricing and avoid corruption.
• Community action: Civil society organisations—often led by people living with HIV—and budget advocacy groups have been central to obtaining affordable ARVs in EECA. Public campaigns, publishing drug prices, opposing patents and negotiating with pharmaceutical manufacturers are among the methods advocated by civil society organisations to achieve affordability.
• National procurement: National procurement agencies have been developed to replace donorfund procurement mechanisms in some countries eg Ukraine. Political will, transparent national laws, generic competition and ongoing advocacy efforts from civil society organisations are required for national agencies to achieve international purchasing power.
• Generic competition: Bringing multiple generics to market is a key strategy to lower the average price per person for ART. Generic competition is partly facilitated by the work of civil society organisations but also through Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) flexibilities and other provisions in national laws governing registration of medicines and procurement.
• The support of donor funds and international organisations: Despite transitioning away from donor funds to buy ART, the Global Fund, United Nations Development Programme and UNICEF continue to support broader HIV response and provide guidelines to enable a successful transition.

The report is available at economist.com

July 28 is the World Hepatitis Day

The Alliance for Public Health (the Alliance) continues its fight against viral hepatitis and traditionally joins
commemoration of the World Hepatitis Day. Since the risk of viral hepatitis infection increases multiple
times in war and crisis conditions, because the hepatitis virus is transmitted with blood. Injuries and contacts with untested blood, wounds and sexual violence, unfortunately, have become a reality and a threat – both for the military, and for civilians. That is why hepatitis testing is especially relevant in wartime.

The Alliance for Public Health (the Alliance) continues its fight against viral hepatitis and traditionally joins commemoration of the World Hepatitis Day. Since the risk of viral hepatitis infection increases multiple times in war and crisis conditions, because the hepatitis virus is transmitted with blood. Injuries and contacts with untested blood, wounds and sexual violence, unfortunately, have become a reality and a threat – both for the military, and for civilians. That is why hepatitis testing is especially relevant in wartime.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, as part of the Alliance’s HIV prevention programs, 108,671 HCV rapid tests have been held, which is almost twice as much as in 2021 (most of them among representatives of HIV vulnerable groups, in particular drug users), of which 37% turned out to be positive! Out of 12,600 viral hepatitis B tests, 2.5% were positive. Starting from February 24, 2022, the Alliance has offered access to HCV diagnosis and treatment to more than 3,300 people living with HIV and tuberculosis and their partners, i.e. to one in every six of those covered with treatment at the national level. Adherence to treatment remained extremely high – 98%, due to that every patient was accompanied by non-governmental organization workers during their treatment and 12 weeks after. The Alliance does everything possible to ensure continuity of treatment for patients who are internally displaced within Ukraine or refugees abroad.
The most important role in organization of HCV testing, diagnosis, and treatment is performed by our partner nongovernmental organizations. They are the ones who test, provide information and social support to representatives of key populations, refer for HCV diagnosis and treatment, conduct counseling, accompany treatment, form adherence to it, carry out extensive educational work, etc. All in all, since 2015, as part of the Alliance’s HCV treatment program, more than 12,000 people from among the most vulnerable groups have gained access to HCV diagnosis and treatment. These are people living with HIV, drug users, men having sex with men, and sex workers. 99% of them are drug users who have HIV/HCV or TB/HCV co-infection, as well as their partners.

Viral hepatitis always remains one of priorities of our activities!

THIS YEAR, THE THEME OF THE AWARENESSRAISING CAMPAIGN ON THE WORLD HEPATITIS DAY AROUND THE WORLD IS THE FOLLOWING

̏ONE LIFE. ONE LIVER.˝

This slogan is about responsibility and attention to oneʼs health, which is extremely important in times of war. After all, hepatitis often destroys the liver in an unnoticeable way

Today, on July 28, 2023, the Alliance together with the World Health Organization calls on our fellow citizens to take the following important steps:
1. Consult a doctor about how to protect yourself against hepatitis.
2. Undergo regular testing – it is availableand free of charge.
3. If the result is positive, undergo diagnostics, treatment with modern direct antiviral action drugs.
The medicines are available in Ukraine, free treatment is provided by the state.
4. Get vaccinated against hepatitis B.

Thanks to a new approach to working with communities, people have the opportunity to initiate solutions to their priority needs through the donor funding

For almost a year and a half, a full-scale war has been raging in Ukraine. According to the official data, more than 15 million Ukrainians were forced to flee their homes as internally displaced persons (IDPs) or refugees in the first 12 months, the largest population movement in Europe since World War II. These figures illustrate the unprecedented humanitarian crisis faced by Ukraine, which is making incredible efforts to defend its sovereignty and democratic values.

Since the very beginning of the war, a significant number of volunteer and local religious initiatives have responded to the humanitarian crisis caused by Russian military aggression. In July 2022, the Alliance for Public Health, with the support of Christian Aid, launched a pilot crisis response program in Ukraine involving people affected by military aggression. This approach implies the involvement of community initiative groups and communities in a mini-grant contest to effectively unite and address urgent humanitarian needs and to support their vital initiatives. The activities are carried out within the framework of the project “Integrated Humanitarian Response in Conditions of War and Post-War Reconstruction”, which results in the provision of humanitarian and social assistance, medical, psychological and legal counselling.

Community initiatives are supported by microgrants

“Thanks to the implementation of the Rukavychka project – a warm and safe night at a police checkpoint for those in need – we managed to equip 7 police checkpoints and create overnight accommodation for people. The facilities are equipped with electric generators, heaters, folding beds, tables, benches, hot drink machines and chairs for a comfortable stay. This made it possible to help more than a hundred people who fled the occupied territories and had no housing, as well as those who, due to the lack of light, electricity and heating, did not have the conditions to spend the night at home,” says the Melitopol Volunteer Group “PATRIOT”, which participated in the mini-grant competition and won funding to set up seven “Points of Invincibility”, which operate around the clock and are free to people who stay there temporarily.

Between July 2022 and May 2023, 203 community groups in 20 regions of the country were supported with 203 microgrants totalling over £415,000 and reaching over 41,769 people. The approach focuses on the natural creativity and capacities of the crisis-affected communities to encourage and support them in identifying and implementing the initiatives that help improve their immediate well-being, address the root causes of the crisis in a timely manner, and strengthen their long-term resilience by enhancing a social cohesion.

An initiative group from the village of Zastuhna in the Kyiv region was able to equip a room with furniture and other equipment to host various children’s clubs, workshops, and create a space for children to learn. In addition, a medical office has been opened in the equipped room, where residents can receive free medical services. “Our initiative group cares about the improvement of wellbeing of the village, constantly compiles lists of needs, identifies new problems to be solved, and sets ambitious goals. We are very pleased that in such a difficult time for the country there are social projects that help improve the lives of vulnerable people,” says Tetiana Pasichnyk, Zastuhna village head.
A recent real-time evaluation by the international faith-based organization ACT Alliance found that this participatory approach involving people and community groups is a best practice to support and strengthen humanitarian localization plans in Ukraine.

People are focusing on their primary needs

Only those people affected by the crisis have a clear understanding of the resources, difficulties and opportunities of their own communities. According to the results of the mini-grant contest, the community initiative groups most often indicated the absence or lack of funding for the following areas: construction of communal bomb shelters; repair of evacuation vehicles; preparation of elderly people’s homes for winter; reconstruction of water towers; installation of wood stoves in elderly people’s homes and schools; equipment of children’s playgrounds and creation of safe spaces for children; allocation and arrangement of laundry facilities for IDPs; purchase of kitchen appliances for shelters where they would be able to cook independently; and many other services. “We conducted a study of the state of nutrition in different social groups and identified certain problems, such as the lack of fresh vegetables and fruits, the inaccessibility of healthy food due to economic reasons, etc.,” said the employees of the Renaissance Foundation. ” As a result, in the short term we provided 40 IDPs with quality and healthy food, and in the long term, we created comfortable living conditions for them in the shelters and “safe places” with the option to cook their own food themselves.

The need for power generators was the result of Russian missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and, at present, the need to purchase them remains quite urgent as the war continues and new destruction occurs every day. The NGO ProLife Ukraine purchased and handed over several electric generators and fuel coupons for the generators to the Buchach Communal Enterprise, which helped to provide water towers with electricity to ensure uninterrupted water supply in the areas where about 2000 people live, 500 of whom are IDPs.
Also, thanks to participation in the mini-grant competition, Konotop City Territorial Community received a 5 kW hybrid solar power plant to meet the needs of the IDP Support Center, which is home to almost 3,500 people. This helped to strengthen the community’s capacity to respond to the electricity supply crisis by creating a place of “energy security”, which is important for residents as it makes them feel more secure and reduces their psychological stress.

Another striking example of meeting the urgent needs of the population, including IDPs, was the creation of a space for children with special educational needs, where 120 children received free psychological and correctional services over the course of the year. “Not only children with special educational needs need psychological and correctional help, but also those children who have experienced stressful situations. These children include most of the displaced children who came to Vinnytsia from the occupied territories or from the war zones,” the specialists from the FIDES Psychological Centre said. The funds were used to purchase the necessary equipment and teaching materials, as well as to create the right conditions for free classes for children. In just three months, 40 group and 60 individual sessions were held there.
Over the course of the project, we have seen that microgrants enable community groups to quickly address their most pressing needs and seize the existing opportunities in their communities. All ideas for the implementation of certain initiatives come exclusively from the communities or individuals, which confirms the uniqueness and importance of this approach. We have witnessed countless examples of spontaneous local actions aimed at overcoming the consequences of the war in Ukraine. It is time to actively support people who intuitively work to meet the needs of the community as a whole.
Reflecting on how the civil society has strengthened over the past year, the Alliance has reported that it was a good start, but that there is still much work to be done. Much of this work is about creating the space, opportunities, structures and resources to enable local actors, including community groups and local organisations, to act on their ideas.

Additional Information:

The Alliance for Public Health is implementing the project “Integrated Humanitarian Response in Conditions of War and Post-War Reconstruction” with the financial support of the Disasters Emergency Committee (UK) and with the technical support of Christian Aid. The main goal of the activity is to support communities to meet urgent humanitarian, social and medical needs and to live in dignity even in crisis conditions.

July 25, 2023  12:00 до 13:30 (EEST, UTC +3), the webinar “Introducing harm reduction services for people who use drugs recreationally in EECA and the Balkans ” will be held.

Recreational drug use is on the rise, but at the same time young people who engage in it are not properly targeted by harm reduction services and don’t receive the necessary support, information and commodities they need to prevent them from turning to problematic use and all the relevant consequences.

On this webinar we’ll share international experience on planning and implementing harm reduction programs specifically for this target population, as well as present the guide that we are working on in this regard.

This webinar will be useful for program managers, advocates, policy makers and communities from across the region to help them inform their decisions and actions.

The webinar will be held in ZOOM.
Please register to partisipate.

Languages: English, Russian, BHS, Albanian

Agenda:

The first camp shift in Safe Place ended with a smile and a lot of impressions ☺️

Ten children from the occupied Tokmak have become close friends with our entire team during the stay. That’s why we are sad to see them go, but we are keeping the bright moments.

Together we visited many interesting places in Lviv and beyond. We saw exhibited animals at the Zoological Museum of the Ivan Franko University and played with real animals at the Skarbova Hora Ranch. We created wood crafts at Open Lab Lviv and danced break dancing at Urban Camp Lviv. We drew on a media board at the Youth Center and learned to firefight at the State Emergency Service University. We thank everyone for this opportunity to give children from the frontline areas a carefree holiday.

The basis of our camp for IDP children is psychological work. Every day we hold evening circles where children talk to psychologist Galyna in a relaxed atmosphere. They talk about their impressions and expectations of the new day in the camp. Galyna becomes a true friend for the children, who, as a matter of professional duty, keeps all their secrets. If necessary, the psychologist communicates with the children in private. In addition, everyone has a Safe Camp diary where they record their work with the psychologist.

The children are also supervised by tutors who are future psychologists and social workers from the University of the State Emergency Service. Svitlana, a health worker, monitors the children’s physical health and informs parents how they feel today. This comprehensive approach is extremely important when working with IDP children and helps them feel comfortable in the camp.

In the future, we are planning 5 more shifts of the Safe Camp, where we expect more than 50 IDP children from the frontline cities of Bakhmut, Svitlodarsk and Gulyaypol. All children will be accommodated in the Safe Place shelter.

We thank the University of the State Emergency Service in Lviv and Vice-Rector Ivan Movchan for their help with tutors and instructors and comprehensive support.

Let’s keep working and create a Safe Camp!

On International Children’s Day Alliance for Public Health calls to prioritize more children affected by war in Ukraine – to provide them access to medical and social services, including HIV, TB and other health services, education, appropriate living conditions and access humanitarian assistance.

Children are among the most vulnerable groups suffering from russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, making the devastating impact of war on 7.5 million children in Ukraine.

ALLIANCE RESPONSE

• Evacuation from war affected regions (literally from the first days of the war).
• Alliance supported 17 shelters in 10 regions of Ukraine (Zaporizhia, Mykolaiv, Dnipro, Donetsk, Odesa, Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Poltava, Cherkasy, Lviv and Kharkiv regions) including safe spaces for children and adolescents.
• Providing medical, psychological, educational, humanitarian needs of internally displaced children – 200 small humanitarian projects were supported having families with children and adolescents among the key recipients with over 5 000 children received different kinds of assistance.
• Humanitarian assistance to medical and social institutions working with children (among over 2 000 tons of humanitarian assistance delivered by Alliance humanitarian convoys the significant share was for children: food, milk formula, medical pediatric supplies, equipment for child rehabilitation, educational materials, toys etc).
• Targeted humanitarian, social and medical support for children from key populations families, in particular, people who use drugs (PWUD), sex workers (CSW) and other KPs.
• Support for over 700 children with special needs from orphanages and state institutions both local and evacuated from occupied territories and war affected areas.
• Support for educational and extra-curricular and tailored group leisure activities for 313 children from Kyiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Odesa, Cherkasy and Slovyansk.
• Providing basic humanitarian and medical support to children and families living on de- occupied territories through Alliance’s mobile treatment points (MTP), particularly in Kherson and Kharkiv regions, near the frontline where medical, educational and social infrastructure are not functional.
• Providing medical, social and psychological support through HeplNOW, Help24 and other platforms to war refugees – families with children and adolescents.

Click here or on the image below to view the report: 

Today, EATG and APH are glad to announce the launch of the STEP-UP MOOC platform.

The STEP-UP MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) is a bilingual (English/Russian), self-paced e-learning training programme accessible to all participants, with no selection process mandated. It is designed by the community for the community, based on the long-standing experience of EATG’s STEP-UP (Skills Training to Empower Patients) capacity-building project.

STEP-UP MOOC is addressed to activists from across Europe and Central Asia, young researchers, healthcare workers and those who work in communities. As a participant, you will have free access to comprehensive knowledge, community mobilisation support, and advocacy training that will help you upgrade your activities and deliver real change.

Participants will benefit from acquiring new knowledge and explore in such areas as:

• Science of HIV/AIDS, co-infections, HIV cure and design of clinical trials
• Stigma, discrimination and criminalisation
• Harm reduction and service delivery for vulnerable groups
• Advocacy with pharmaceutical companies on treatment pricing and affordability
• HIV and mental health
• Ageing and co-morbidities
• Migration and travelling with HIV

Upon completion of the MOOC, a globally recognised certificate of training will be awarded to each participant.

Within two months from this launch, the organisers will select participants for the onsite Community of Practice Workshop ‘STEP-UP Weekend’ in Europe. In order for you to be considered for a place in this workshop, you must achieve an 80% or higher score in the final examination and submit a project concept focused on delivering real value to your community.

Access to the online course and certification will remain available throughout the year.

Registration is open now and all participants are welcome.

How to register

Step one — please share your details with us through this form. (https://bit.ly/stepupmoocregistration)

Step two — You will receive an email from e-Sia with access to the online learning platform and a 6-digit pin code to log in.  STEP-UP MOOC is hosted on the e-Sia learning platform.

Learn more about STEP-UP: https://www.eatg.org/projects/step-up/

Do you have a question? Please contact:

Dany Stolbunov, STEP-UP MOOC Community Manager, EATG, stepup@eatg.org

Inna Gavrylova, PR & Communications Manager, Alliance for Public Health, gavrylova@aph.org.ua

The STEP-UP Training Academy has been a flagship project of EATG since 2013. After five face-to-face cycles and one online, the new implementation of STEP-UP MOOC is an online training platform created in collaboration with APH. Both the new format and the involvement of a partner organisation from Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) region aim to assure a wider reach of trainees from diverse settings.

This initiative has been independently developed by EATG, and was made possible through sponsorship from Gilead Sciences Europe Ltd. EATG acknowledges that Gilead Sciences Europe Ltd has not had any control or input into the structure or content of the initiative. The STEP-UP MOOC is implemented in collaboration with Alliance for Public Health

On the eve of World TB Day we are reflecting on over a year of TB response during the war. Despite the challenges due to shelling, destruction, energy terror, migration of both general population and medical professionals Ukraine gives decisive TB response.

Coordinated efforts of government, civil society, international partners as well as financial support from the Global Fund and other donors during the war allow to keep TB epidemic under control. In some regions we were able to identify 2-3 times more TB cases than before the war, linking them to treatment. Timely delivery of TB drugs sometimes even by bicycles when it was no fuel, providing psychosocial and mental health support led to the most important results – over 80% of drug-resistant TB were cured.

Read more about civil society’s efforts to fight tuberculosis during the war in our situation report.