Introducing the new situational report “NO BREAK IN THE STRUGGLE: Ukraine’s Health Response Three Years into the War”

Three years of full-scale war. Ukraine continues the fight — not only for its sovereignty but for the health and well-being of its people. Despite immense challenges, the country has sustained its HIV and TB programs, implemented innovative healthcare solutions, and demonstrated unwavering resilience.

The Alliance for Public Health is proud to play a key role in this process — scaling up services, deploying innovations, and expanding support from healthcare to humanitarian aid, mental health, and assistance for vulnerable groups.

Since February 2022, over 1.6 million Ukrainians have benefited from APH’s support. According to Forbes Ukraine, APH is ranked #4 among charitable foundations in the country in the humanitarian response sector.

The solutions we are developing today will shape the future of Ukraine’s healthcare system — digital, mobile, innovative, and person-centered.

Andriy Klepikov, Executive Director of the Alliance for Public Health:
“We strongly believe that Ukraine deserves a just resolution of this war. Obviously, there will be trade-offs on the way to ending the war. But in any scenario, the health of Ukrainians has already been affected and exhausted so much by the russian war, so it is not a subject for compromise. In order to achieve this, Ukraine should be able to rely on its partners and allies — in the US, Europe, and globally. We need your continuing support to do everything for a brighter, peaceful, secure and sustainable future for our country!”

Read the full report: https://bit.ly/4i9xsQ8

Women receiving opioid agonist therapy (OAT) in Ukraine have a unique opportunity to be vaccinated against the human papillomavirus. Thanks to international cooperation and support from Expertise France, the Alliance for Public Health (APH), and the Ukrainian network of women who use drugs “VONA”, a crucial step has been taken to protect the health of vulnerable women.

Why is this important?

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections and the leading cause of cervical cancer, as well as other oncological diseases. Gardasil-9 protects nine of the most dangerous HPV types, responsible for the majority of cancer cases.

Women who use drugs are particularly vulnerable to HPV due to several risk factors:

• Weakened immune system caused by the toxic effects of street drugs, chronic inflammation, and a high risk of HIV infection.
• Limited access to healthcare and prevention programs due to fear of stigma and discrimination.
• Increased risk of infection due to unprotected sexual contact.

This program is critically important for protecting the health of women receiving OAT.

First Steps in Vaccination

The first seven women have already received the Gardasil-9 vaccine, which is currently unavailable to the general public in Ukraine. An exception was made for the Alliance for Public Health, enabling the launch of this program.

A Life-Changing Initiative

The initiative is being implemented within the framework of the project “Gender-oriented medical and psychosocial services to women with opioid use disorders and female patients of opioid agonist treatment program” (CoMPSS) in the cities of Dnipro, Odesa, and Lviv.

The program is expanding, and vaccinations will soon be available for women in Kyiv and Kryvyi Rih.

Vaccination is the Best Protection Against HPV!

Together, we are taking another significant step toward preserving the health of the women who need it the most.

At the end of December, representatives of Expertise France, Arthur Langlois and Antoine Pogorzelski, visited Kyiv. Their visit marks a significant milestone in the CoMPSS project, which aims to support women with opioid use disorders and patients of Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) programs.

The CoMPSS project combines the efforts of the Alliance for Public Health and the Ukrainian network of women who use drugs (VONA), was launched in April 2024. Thanks to funding from Expertise France and support from L’Initiative, innovative solutions have been developed to enhance medical and psychosocial assistance.

Key achievements:

During their visit to the renovated “Mother and Child” room at the Kyiv City Narcological Clinical Hospital “Sociotherapy,” the French donors toured the facilities and communicated with the project team. They highly appreciated the quality of the services provided, including medical care, psychological counseling, and humanitarian support.

The CoMPSS project demonstrates how international partnershipsand local efforts can transform the lives of the most vulnerable populations, despite significant challenges, particularly during wartime.

As we approach the New Year, we are proud to share the most inspiring achievements of the SoS EECA 2024 project.

This year has proven that strong partnerships, unity, and a deep understanding of countries’ needs can transform thousands of lives. Every success is a testament to your dedication, collaboration, and commitment to making a difference. We are endlessly grateful to our partners and donors for their contribution to building a future where everyone has access to the support they need. Together, we are shaping a story of change and strengthening the region in the fight against HIV Ahead lies new challenges and even greater opportunities to make an impact. May 2025 bring incredible inspiration, remarkable achievements, and shared victories for the benefit of EECA

As we look back on 2024, we are proud to celebrate the incredible results we have achieved together.

We sincerely thank all our partners and donors, civil society and community representatives, volunteers, military, social and health workers, nurses and doctors who worked tirelessly on the ground.

On December 11, 2024, the Alliance for Public Health (Ukraine), Aidsfonds, and Friends of the Global Fund Europe launched the policy report “The EU’s Levers to End HIV/AIDS in Ukraine.” The online event, hosted by MEP Vytenis Andriukaitis, concluded a multistakeholder dialogue addressing Ukraine’s HIV/AIDS epidemic and the EU’s critical role in the response.

MEP Vytenis Andriukaitis: “Ukraine demonstrates remarkable efforts and resilience to sustain the AIDS response. The EU can strengthen its role in ensuring these efforts continue. The policy brief launched today provides clear recommendations for leveraging the EU financial instruments, including in the context of the next Multiannual Financial Framework, and leveraging accessing talks, to bolster Ukraine’s progress toward ending HIV/AIDS. As one of the coordinators of SANT, I am ready to be your advocate, and I am looking forward to continuing cooperation and turning all recommendations into action.”

Ukraine’s efforts in tackling HIV/AIDS amidst the war were praised by René Steiner, Delegation of the EU to Ukraine, who stated, “Ukraine teaches us all how even with little means, you can make the best out of it.”

Oleh Khavroniuk, Mission of Ukraine to the EU, highlighted the importance of engaging with the EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, underlining the importance of integrating Ukraine’s expertise and lessons learnt practices into the EU’s health emergency preparedness and response framework.

The policy report outlines key recommendations for the EU’s future Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the accession process, and the Ukraine Facility.

Notably, the event brought together Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), representatives from the European Commission’s Delegation to Ukraine, the Mission of Ukraine to the EU, Poland’s National AIDS Centre, Ukraine’s Ministry of Health Public Health Center, ECECACD, as well as global health organisations such as the Global Fund, and European and Ukrainian CSOs.

Read the download:

Policy Brief

Report

Presentations: Current status of the HIV/AIDS response in Ukraine / Policy Brief: Recommendations

Addition materials: 

• the Global Fund Results report 2024
• JIAS article: An implementation evaluation of the Breaking Down human rights barriers to HIV services initiative in Ukraine

If you have any questions or are interested in further collaboration around the Policy Brief, please do not hesitate to reach out to us:
Inna Gavrylova, Alliance for Public Health, gavrylova@aph.org.ua

Background on organisers

Alliance for Public Health : Since the early days of the war, Alliance for Public Health has worked together with other civil society and community organizations, healthcare facilities, the Ministry of Health, the Public Health Center, and other government organizations to support people and keep the HIV and TB epidemics under control. And with joint efforts, we have succeeded! During one year of the war, 4 times more people have become Alliance beneficiaries than in previous years – over 1 million Ukrainians! Due to our cooperation with donors and partners, Alliance has delivered and handed over 2,000 tons of humanitarian and medical cargoes to more than 200 healthcare facilities throughout Ukraine, including in the liberated areas of Kherson, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv oblasts. Alliance for Public Health works in the countries of the European region, supporting and sharing best practices in the response to HIV/AIDS.

Aidsfonds : Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Aidsfonds set up the Emergency Support Fund for Ukraine and Neighboring Countries with the aim of ensuring uninterrupted services and safety for people living with and vulnerable to HIV. The fund provides short-term small grants and mid-term support for community-led and community-based organisations in Ukraine and EECA countries. So far, it has provided 64 grants to support 33 community-led organisations.

Friends of the Global Fund Europe : As an advocacy organisation, Friends Europe has been focusing on providing a platform for Ukrainian voices to call for increased funding to continue community-led initiatives for vulnerable populations. The advocacy started with a statement from Friends Europe’s board of directors. Friends organised events around World Tuberculosis Day in France and in the European Parliament to highlight the work of civil society and community-based organisations in maintaining access to critical health services in particular for key populations. Finally, it facilitated the access of Ukrainian voices to European media with coverage in the Rai and in Euractiv.

On World AIDS Day, the Alliance for Public Health released a report summarizing 2024’s efforts to combat AIDS in Ukraine during the wartime. The Alliance identified the third of all new HIV cases and introduced groundbreaking innovations, including long-acting PrEP, ensuring continuous treatment. 

Mobile clinics expanded services to frontline areas, and humanitarian aid was provided to IDPs and military personnel. Digital solutions supported patients remotely, while harm reduction programs for drug users and advocacy for vulnerable populations’ rights were also prioritized. 

World AIDS Day 2024 

Since the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has demonstrated extraordinary strength, resisting one of the world’s largest armies. Despite immense losses, Ukrainians have adapted, defended, and united under relentless attacks. Million people have been displaced, and millions more face trauma and hardship — yet, our resolve and hope endure.

The Alliance for Public Health has been at the forefront, delivering humanitarian aid to over 1 million Ukrainians. Beyond health, we’ve focused on crisis response, controlling HIV and TB, and assisting those harmed by war. To address the destruction of healthcare infrastructure in frontline areas, we launched mobile medical services, offering everything from family medicine to dental care. These achievements have only been possible thanks to strong international support — thank you, donors and partners!

Ukraine’s bravery has inspired global backing to arm its defenders, rebuild infrastructure, and ensure stability. Together, we aim for a just peace with lasting security.