First the notice of theWorld Health Organization (WHO), then an article by Nature and now also the United Nations program «unaids»: the alarm for the Ukrainian population on the subject of infectious diseases is growing more and more, Aids above all.
The war in Ukraine caused a humanitarian crisis. People have been forced to flee their homes, civilian infrastructure has been destroyed and essential services have been disrupted, including vital health services.
There are to pay the costs 260 thousand HIV-positive people at the time of the conflict. Among these, are 152 thousand those in antiretroviral therapy (Art), that is, those who need drugs that must be taken daily to survive.
Unaids estimates that only a supply of three weeks of antiretroviral therapy in Ukraine and that many refugees and displaced persons will have serious difficulties in accessing regular supplies of life-saving medicines. HIV prevention services have also been severely disrupted. In order to provide support and assistance to those affected by the war, the Joint Program is leveraging the capacity of the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund and other entities to support shipments of supplies to neighboring countries and to Ukraine itself.
Working alongside government and non-governmental organizations, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the United Nations are working together in a rapidly changing environment.
Together with the World Health Organization and theOffice of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNAIDS is holding talks with neighboring countries of Hungary, Poland, the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Slovakia to inform their capital cities and health officials about the needs of people living with and affected by HIV to support them in accessing disease treatment services.
Unaids echoes the UN Secretary General’s call for an end to the war and for safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all areas affected by the Russian Federation’s military offensive.
The United Nations and humanitarian partners have launched a emergency appeal of $ 1.7 billion which includes an additional $ 1.1 billion “flash solicitation” to assist 6 million people in Ukraine for an initial period of three months. Support includes multi-purpose cash assistance for the most vulnerable, food, water and sanitation assistance, support for health care and education services, and assistance for the rebuilding of damaged homes.
Part of the money will be used for HIV-positive people with a preferential channel for antiretroviral therapy for Ukrainians abroad: so that people living with HIV can access antiretroviral therapy and other medical treatments, the group Euroguidelines in Central and Eastern Europe (Ecee) launched the initiative «Art» for Ukrainians abroad in coordination with the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the LV Gromashevsky Institute of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine (Ieih).