The “Way Home” Fund spoke on the “Sustainability of the HIV services” project results

November 30, 2017, the results of the “Sustainability of the HIV services” project were revealed in front of the regional administration. The aim of the pilot project was to attain the sustainability of the HIV services provided in Belgorod-Dnestrovsk region.

Now people of the area can test themselves on HIV and consult with the family doctor here. In case of the positive HIV result, the patient can receive the forwarding documents to the specific hospital right here in the office. The testing is being done with the two different types tests, 10 minutes one after another. It is critically important, because if the patient finds one’s positive result, it is important to start acting right away, to be able to take the necessary actions and start living life on a relatively good level.  «Implementing the this services for people, already shows good results. Since April 2017, 303 people were tested on HIV in the offices of Belgorod-Dnestrovsk, 8 people were detected as “positive. All of the 8 people were registered at the hospital and are taking free anti-virus treatment. Their life is out of danger», — said Natalia Kitsenko, the head of the “Sustainability of the HIV services” project, the director of the HIV prevention among the risk groups department.

These are the reforming changes in the field. They become possible with the support of the governmental structures and their collaboration with the NGOs of the area.

Alla Ginak, the major of Belgorod-Dnestrovsk, has stated: “Unfortunately, the city is in the first 5 places of the highest rate of HIV growth in the population. That is why implementing and already having the results of the “Sustainability of the HIV services is a great result for us. Thanks to our common efforts, we can change the vision of the whole healthcare system and really put fulfilling the needs of patients as our primal aim. And it really works, in this short period of time 30 people found out about their HIV status and could get the medical support befor it is too late. Their lives have been saved”.

The aim of the pilot project – to sustain the functioning of the stable model of the life-saving HIV services for the risk groups of people of the area and people already living with HIV.

One more important part of the project – is buying the HIV-services through the social demand system. The government can buy social services from the companies, who provide them at the best, according to the official competition. 200 000 hrivna are the estimated cost to the HIV services, provided during 2016-2020. This year 50000 were paid for the HIV-offices equipment.

“Organizing the effective financing system in order to create better conditions for the diagnostics and treatment of the HIV-infection in the city and region of Belgorod-Dnestrovsk – is a very timely action” – Valery Lobanov, the head of regional council, stated. “Thanks to the pilot project “Sustainability of the HIV services” we can easily estimate the needs in HIV rapid-tests. Now the testing will always be available, since we can now estimate the amount of tests and uy them in advance”, — Mr. Lobanov added. 477 000 hrn will be provided to the project from the government by 2020 – to fulfill the needs of HIV-testing in the city.

At the moment, 4 tuberculosis treatment offices are open in the region (in the frames of the hospitals in settlements of Vypasna, Shabo, Nikolaevka and in Starokazatskaya hospital. Fifteen patients with the closed-lung TB are already taking the treatment at the family doctors’ supervision.

In frames of the pilot project, on November 24, 2007, the first replacement-therapy office for the patients with the opioid dependency was opened. “Providing the patients the replacement medications instead of the drugs that they would keep using, we are not only decreasing the risks of the HIV transmission, but also fight with the better criminal situation in the area, associated with the illegal drug-dealers”, – said the head of the pilot-project, Natalia Kiparenko.

The pilot project “Sustainability of the HIV services” is being implemented in 7 regions of Ukraine. Since 2008 the regional experience will be integrated in other cities and regions of the country.