Between December 2022 and May 2023 UNODC supported community based organizations* in Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro to strengthen and effectively operationalize national and regional capacities to enable uninterrupted HIV and drug prevention, treatment and care services for vulnerable populations that were facing immense challenges due to the humanitarian situation resulting from the war in Ukraine.
*(Ukraine: CSO Light of Hope, Poltava; CSO Free Zone; CSO Kharkiv Humanitarian Foundation “Blago”. Moldova: CSO Positive Initiative; Regional Center for Community Policies; Act for Involvement . Serbia: Drug Policy Network South East Europe PREVENT ; Timok Youth Center; Association Rainbow; Re Generation. Montenegro: Juventas Cazas)
War and conflict lead to displacement, can compromise national and regional infrastructure and exacerbate health care deficiencies for displaced and host populations, including refugees and internally displaced persons.
An estimated 5.9 million Ukrainians and others have been recorded across Europe, having fled Ukraine, while 5.1 million have been internally displaced. This war and related displacement have also led to an increased burden on public health services that include HIV prevention and treatment services. The restriction in the provision of health services further exposes and increases the risk of HIV infection for affected populations, especially those who are already vulnerable, such as people who use drugs (PWUD), including those who are using new psychoactive and stimulant substances (NPS), women who use drugs (WUD) and other women in vulnerable situations, and people in prison or recently released.
To provide the necessary support to these vulnerable groups, UNODC and its partners mobilized national and regional civil society, service providers, policymakers and other stakeholders through a community-led process and developed an emergency response based on the needs of the affected populations.
UNODC support in in Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro has enabled access to preventive and treatment services, including HIV/TB/HCV/STI prevention, regular monitoring, early antiretroviral therapy initiation for people living with HIV, distribution of HIV/viral hepatitis testing, syringes, condoms, alcohol swabs, needles, and informational materials. National and regional initiatives also focused on humanitarian needs, including the provision of temporary shelters, food vouchers, hygiene kits, and clothing, as well as community-led case management and social support services, such as psychological and social assistance, and legal counseling, employment and reintegration support.
The complexities of HIV epidemics, creates a wide range of priorities on which to focus resources – which are further exacerbated by war and conflict. From local interventions to national policy changes, UNODC and its partners implemented crucial measures to have a greater impact on affected populations, while taking measure to prevent stigma and discrimination and enable respect for human rights.
Achieving the continuity of HIV treatment and care requires empowering the key populations for whom these services are intended, in particular women in vulnerable situations. Among the initiatives implemented, the stakeholders carried out awareness-raising activities on gender-responsive HIV services for women who use drugs that targeted healthcare managers, service providers, law enforcement officials and policy-makers.
To respond constructively to urgent needs, UNODC supported community level training in first aid and rescue in emergency situations, consultations with psychologists to preserve and restore mental health and cope with critical conditions caused by the collapse of infrastructure and traditional communities, and advice on legal aid, particularly for the restoration of document forms. The experience of delivering these evidence-based interventions in an emergency setting, was an opportunity to gather information and share best practices to improve HIV programmes and guide future decisions.
Further Information
UNODC is the lead agency for HIV prevention, treatment and care among people who use drugs and people in prison settings, and responsible for facilitating the development of a UN-wide response to HIV and AIDS as a co-sponsor of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
For more on our work on HIV, visit: www.unodc.org/unodc/en/hiv-aids/new/index.html
