Impact

The largest HIV-prevention program in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) implemented by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine with support of the Global Fund, has proven its success. The prevention program has supported provision of services since 2004, including syringe exchange, information materials, condoms, HIV and sexually transmitted infection rapid testing and counseling. These have reached 226 469 people who inject drugs, 38,742 commercial sex workers and 42,881 men who have sex with men in 2017. Programming activities extended all over Ukraine, including AR Crimea, and the areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions outside the control of the Ukrainian Government.

As compared to 2014, 2.4 times as many clients were served in 2017 thanks to assisted testing (235,266). There was a 30% increase in the number of positive test results (3,577). The percentage of positive test results among new clients is 5 times as high as that recorded among “old” clients, which speaks for the effectiveness of the prevention strategies employed.

2017 was a year of new project areas being embraced and new innovations implemented. The year saw the launch of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) delivery, self-testing, and the new program for transgender people, efforts to improve engagement with Ukrainian military service members and in the zone of conflict in Eastern Ukraine, as well as steps to scale up the response to TB/HIV as part of the Fast-Track Cities initiative.