The Olena Pinchuk Foundation and the Ministry of Defense have launched a joint initiative aimed at strengthening the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of HIV infection and viral hepatitis B and C.
According to a press release from the Foundation, in accordance with the relevant memorandum between the Foundation and the Ministry of Defense’s Department of Health, an algorithm for expanding military personnel’s access to HIV and viral hepatitis testing and treatment during military service will be developed at the Third Army Corps.
In particular, the Foundation will provide the Third Army Corps with rapid tests for HIV, viral hepatitis B and C, and syphilis, reagent kits for laboratory diagnostics, and medications for the treatment of hepatitis C. A separate focus of the project is the development and implementation of a multi-level information and education campaign aimed at preventing new infections and reducing stigma in the military, as well as developing an anti-discrimination policy for military personnel living with HIV and/or viral hepatitis B and C.
"The partnership aims to develop models of medical care that can be scaled up to other units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces and integrated into the public health system of the security and defense sector, particularly in the area of combating the HIV and viral hepatitis epidemic," the Foundation noted.
