Alliance for Public Health

Within project 'Innovate, Involve, Inspire: Preventing Hepatitis C Through Community-Led Harm Reduction (HEPC III), led by the Frontline AIDS consortium, Alliance for Public Health (APH) together with MENAHRA is conducting a kickoff training from November 10-14, 2024. It is especially exciting as this training is preceding a very important intervention – hepatitis C treatment initiation using simplified approach for people who inject drugs in community settings, a study and intervention within UNITAID project, that is deemed to change Hepatitis C responses in 3 project countries. With PWID driving Hepatitis C epidemic globally (23% of new cases related to intravenous drug use) and being severely affected by Hepatitis C (about 50% estimated to be infected globally), yet less than half have ever been tested for Hepatitis C and less than 5% accessing treatment we are working on a very important intervention to bridge this gap of treatment access for the most affected population. It is a kick off training, as we are about to be starting work in the field the coming month. Sofosbuvir has arrived in Kyrgyzstan and tests will follow. Nigeria will get the medications in December. So we are just a step from reaching out to PWID and initiating community treatment interventions. Therefore the multidisciplinary teams of coordinator, doctors, social workers, researchers are working together to plan the forthcoming intervention. APH is happy to share the experience of Ukraine in community-based Hepatitis C treatment program, which has provided treatment to 13,000 key population representatives across Ukraine. In this project we are developing the study protocol, supporting the countries in implementation, including through this training, procuring Hepatitis C medications and tests. This program became possible thanks to the vision, ambition and partnership of Frontline AIDS, UK-based organization of which APH is proud to be a member and that gathered us in partnership and a consortium for this project. We are holding the training in Cairo, Egypt, for a reason. Egypt was awarded ‘gold tier’ status from WHO on path to elimination of hepatitis C by WHO in 2023. What an inspiration it was to hear from Deputy Minister of Health and Population Dr Mohammad Hassany about the incredible public heath success story that Egypt demonstrated to the world in taking control of Hepatitis C epidemic! Some lessons of success story in the video! More: https://bit.ly/3Z1SGso Frontline AIDS | Unitaid | MENAHRA

Ukraine avoided a tuberculosis epidemic. In the spring of 2022, international experts predicted a major tuberculosis epidemic in Ukraine following russia's ground invasion. This is due to the fact that, historically, wars have almost always been accompanied by a significant increase in tuberculosis morbidity and mortality. "But this didn’t happen thanks to hard work, early diagnostics, and fruitful partnerships between governments, medical institutions, civil society, and local communities," says Andriy Klepikov, executive director of the Alliance for Public Health. Learn more in the Norwegian publication Panorama Nyheter: https://bit.ly/4feCkBY

This year marks 20 years since Ukraine first introduced opioid substitution therapy (OST) programme. Over the course of these two decades, experiences were accumulated, with evidence collected to confirm its effectiveness. In addition, mechanisms have been developed to address the challenges and obstacles faced by people who use drugs in Ukraine. In honour of this milestone, a documentary film by Drug Users News (DUNews) captures the history of the programme, from the first advocacy steps in the 1990s to today’s war with russia. “20 Years of Substitution Therapy in Ukraine” is not just the story of a programme that has saved, and continues to save, thousands of lives in Ukraine; it is also a chronicle of the country’s development over the years. Through the lens of substitution therapy, the film shows the path Ukraine has travelled as a former member of the soviet union to an independent democratic state, now resisting russia’s full-scale invasion of its territory. Learn more in the TalkingDrugs article: https://lnkd.in/etqrmBkq

LISBON ADDICTIONS 2024: Ukrainian Innovations in Addiction Treatment on the International Stage. Today marks the start of LISBON ADDICTIONS — the European Conference on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies. The Lisbon Conference on Addictions is the largest European event in this field, bringing together experts from several continents, including Europe, Africa, North America, Asia, South America, and Oceania. This year, the event has attracted a record-breaking 2,000 participants from 104 countries worldwide, showcasing innovative research aimed at deepening the understanding and response to modern addictive behaviors and dependencies. Maria Malakhova, Program Manager of Innovative and Digital Projects at the Alliance for Public Health, is participating in the conference, which runs from October 23-25, 2024, in Lisbon. Maria is presenting the Alliance's experience in implementing a pilot project on treating ADHD among stimulant users in Ukraine. She will engage with participants from around the globe to exchange knowledge and foster new partnerships. Notably, Maria, as a strong advocate of digital technologies, will present the Alliance's work in a digital format — e-short communication via digital kiosks located throughout the congress center. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to interactively explore the pilot project. This event brings together leading international experts in the field of addictive behaviors and dependencies under the theme "Empowering the Workforce of the Future." The conference will feature cutting-edge scientific research and discuss issues related to workforce development, illicit substances, alcohol, tobacco, screen addiction, gambling, and other addictive behaviors. The latest trends in working with people who use drugs, services for those with alcohol dependence, and innovative and digital approaches to harm reduction and treatment will also be explored, along with policy recommendations for safeguarding the health and safety of service providers. Over the coming days, we will be sharing the key highlights from the conference! Maria Malakhova | Sergii Filippovych | Lisbon Addictions |

From October 13 to 15, the Global Fast-Track Cities 2024 Conference is being held at Maison de la Mutualité, Paris, marking the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Fast-Track Cities initiative, which began on World AIDS Day in 2014. The event, organized with the support of the Mayor of Paris, brings together more than 550 cities under the theme “Equity in Action”, to discuss achievements in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis, as well as to focus on further advancing health-related sustainable development goals by 2030. The delegation of Eastern European and Central Asian countries is also participating in this year’s conference, including representatives from Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Montenegro. This year’s conference is focused on ensuring equity in access to healthcare services and improving HIV outcomes for all communities. Special attention will be given to sharing best practices in accelerating responses to urban health challenges and exploring new approaches to implementing comprehensive measures in combating epidemics. During the panel discussion “Equity in Action: Health Equity through Shared Responsibility,” Tetiana Deshko, Director of the International Programs Department at the Alliance for Public Health, emphasized the importance of partnerships between the state and civil society. 10 Years of Fast-Track Cities in the EECA Region: $10 Million Allocated Across 34 Cities One of the key achievements of Fast-Track Cities in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region has been the unification of 34 cities from 13 countries in the fight against HIV and tuberculosis. Since 2017, municipal authorities in these cities have allocated $10 million for implementing health programs and introducing innovative approaches. The EECA delegation at this year’s conference includes representatives from Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Montenegro, along with activists and government officials. Learn more: https://bit.ly/488ka2t Tetiana Deshko | Sanja SISOVIC |

Harm Reduction Academy: Successful Second Module in Kenya From September 9 to 13, 2024, the second module of the Harm Reduction Academy took place in Mombasa, Kenya. Participants from various parts of the world had the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and gain practical experience in monitoring and evaluating harm reduction programs. The practical experience gained allowed participants to better understand how these programs operate at the community level and to identify the most effective methods for combating epidemics. The knowledge they acquired was applied to the context of their own countries, helping to identify challenges and outline necessary initiatives in the harm reduction field. The eighth cycle of the Academy welcomed 16 participants from Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, Nigeria, and representatives from Front Line Aids. The first module of the program took place in Georgia with the expert facilitation of Mat Southwell, an expert in HIV, drug use, and harm reduction with over 30 years of experience. The Harm Reduction Academy is a global initiative aimed at addressing the epidemics of AIDS and Hepatitis C among people who inject drugs. The six-month course consists of three one-week in-person modules, including specialized lectures, practical workshops, and field visits to countries with leading harm reduction practices. For more information: https://lnkd.in/erZijKZS Frontline AIDS

How do you fight HIV infections in the midst of a war? That’s a question that’s been bedeviling Ukraine since the Russian invasion of February 2022. It’s a critical issue for a country that, with an estimated 245,000 people living with HIV, has the second highest incidence of the infectious disease in Europe after Russia, with the virus typically spreading through contaminated blood, sexual contact and shared needle usage. Learn more in the interview for the American media: https://n.pr/3ZHWtfq Pavlo Smyrnov

On September 19-20, a regional working meeting on Pandemic Preparedness, Migration, and Health: Innovations and Adaptation of Global Fund Grants to Migration Realities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) was held in Samarkand. A special focus was placed on speeches by two Ukrainian women, Natalia and Iryna, along with Iryna's 9-year-old daughter, who were forced to move to Poland due to the war. Natalia shared her personal experience of living with HIV in the context of migration. She spoke about how she initially became a client and later a consultant and activist for the #HelpNOW HUB, helping other Ukrainians facing similar issues. Iryna shared the tragic story of her family, which lost their father to multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, while her young daughter continues to battle the disease. The presence of the little girl deeply moved all participants. These stories highlighted the incredible challenges Ukrainian refugees face when seeking medical help in foreign countries, such as language barriers, unfamiliar legal systems, and bureaucratic obstacles. Tetiana Deshko, Director of the International Programs Department of the Alliance for Public Health, presented the experience of the regional project #SoS 2.0 (2022-2024). She outlined approaches to ensuring service continuity for migrants at a cross-border level. From 2022 to 2024, Ukraine experienced an unprecedented migration crisis, with over 8 million Ukrainians forced to leave their homes, marking the largest population movement in Europe since World War II. The meeting was attended by the leaders of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Wellbeing and Public Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the national and regional AIDS centers, representatives of The Global Fund, IOM - UN Migration, UNDP, EJAF, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, World Health Organization, UNAIDS, Alliance for Public Health, AFEW International, REG, as well as international experts and representatives of organizations from EECA region countries, including Armenia, Albania, Afghanistan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Tajikistan, Montenegro, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine. More: https://lnkd.in/e9gEYaS8

Ukraine continues its fight against HIV even during the war. These are stories of resilience and determination, where innovative approaches help with HIV prevention and treatment, despite the war. Read the excellent article by NPR about how the Alliance for Public Health uses AI-based solutions to provide support and medical care where it's needed most, even in the most dangerous conditions. Learn how AI solutions are helping protect Ukrainians: http://surl.li/cgbotd The Global Fund | UNAIDS | Frontline AIDS | International AIDS Society | Michael Kessler | Andriy Klepikov | Inna Gavrylova |

The Global Fund 2024 Results Report is now available. The Global Fund partnership is delivering on its promise: to save lives from #HIV, TB & malaria, and work with countries to build stronger and more inclusive systems for health. Global Fund Report Highlights Major Strides Against HIV, TB and Malaria, Lowered Prices for Essential Medicines    - Death rate from the three diseases cut by 61% since 2002; 65 million lives saved.  - Sustained progress against HIV, TB and malaria in 2023, with significant price reductions and wider access to key health products across the three diseases.   - Data reveals Global Fund investments in HIV freed up capacity in health care facilities, allowing better response to other diseases.  - Climate change, conflict and threats to human rights impact progress. https://lnkd.in/dZKw5mKt We thank the Global Fund for supporting Ukraine for more than 20 years!