News

18.04.06

Tender on the development of information materials for prisoners.
The Council of Experts awarded grant to the Project presented by the Charity Fund "Educational center INFO-PLUS" (Moscow).

10.04.06

Conference on the development of a national information system of monitoring and evaluation.

31.03.06

Two training seminars on ART for regional specialists took place in Saratov.

30.03.06

The seminar for nurses and social care givers on consulting and adherence took place in Irkutsk. It was promoted by the Irkutsk Red Cross organization, WHO and the Russian Health Care Foundation funded by the Global Fund.

26.03.06

Palliative care Training for leaders of health and social care departments

23.03.06

01.02.06 - 01.03.06 Grant with PSI "HIV|AIDS prevention among MSM"

13.03.06

The Russian Health Care Foundation and the Administrations of Irkutsk and Leningrad Oblasts have signed the Agreements on participation of these two regions in realization of the Program "Promoting a Strategic Response to HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care for Vulnerable Populations in the Russian Federation", funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

13.03.06

The Russian Health Care Foundation has carried out a competition by requesting for price quotation for the procurement of rapid HIV/AIDS test kits for testing procedures for PEP cases. As a result of that Competition the right to conclude the Contract was awarded to the Representative office of “Oxford Laboratories PVT LTD”.

10.03.06

Results of the first round of the Competition “Support to harm reduction (outreach programs) for vulnerable groups ( IDUs and/or SWs)” have been summarized. Experts' Counsil made a decision to award grants for the realization of the following projects:

• “Harm Reduction Among IDUs in Altai Region” - Altai Public Organisation "AntiAIDS Siberia";
• “ Comprehensive Program of HIV Prevention Among IDUs in Saratov” – Saratov Public Organization “Anti AIDS”;
• “Harm Reduction for IDUs” – Public Organization “Maria”, Volgograd;
• “Implicit Threat. HIV Prevention among SW and IDUs Providing Outreach Work, Psychosocial Care and Treatment” – Saratov Oblast Public Organization “Megapolis”;
• “Harm Reduction Among CSWs in Altai Region” – Altai Public Organization “Anti AIDS Siberia”;
• “Outreach for CSW in Volgograd and Volzhskiy” – Autonomous Non-commercial Organization “Elpis”.

10.03.06

Results have bee summarized for the Competition on realization of the project "Trainings for the Federal Penitentiary Sector Workers(Health Professionals and Psychologists) on VCT". Experts' Counsil made a decision to award grant for the project implementation to Novosibirsk City Public Organization "Humanitarian Project".

28.02.06

The Agreement on implementation of “Promoting a Strategic Response to HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care for Vulnerable Populations in the Russian Federation” Programme was signed between the Russian Health Care Foundation” and the Government of Sverdlovsk oblast. The Programme is financed by the Global Fund to fight AIDS. TB and Malaria.

Mrs. Maria Syrochkina, Ph.d, M.D., of the regional Ministry of Health is appointed the Regional programme coordinator.

The Working group to implement the programme in the region will be set up within next two weeks.

27.02.06

The Agreement was concluded between the Russian Health Care Foundation and the Administration of Altai Region on the participation of Altai Region in the realization of the Program “Promoting a Strategic Response to HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care for Vulnerable Populations in the Russian Federation”, funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

The Regional Intersectoral Committee on Prevention and Fight AIDS (the Chairman – Mr. N. Cherepanov, Deputy Head of Altai Administration) works effectively and will coordinate the Program activity between health care institutions, including first of all Regional AIDS Centre, Department of Social Protection, Penitentiary Sector, Department of Internal Affairs, Federal Drug Control Service and NGOs. Intersectoral Agreement on the Order of Interaction Between all Interested Parties was concluded earlier.

22.02.06

WHO, represented by the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Combating Phase II Project held a meeting of organizations most actively involved in ART training in Russia on 22 February 2006 and invited representatives of the Ministry of Health and Social Development, the Federal AIDS Center, the Russian Healthcare Foundation (RHCF), and from the UN and NGO community.

Professor Vadim Pokrovskiy, head of the Federal AIDS Center informed the participants of the Center's plans on training, including the programs implemented in collaboration with RHCF.

Professor Yevgeniy Zhiburt, Deputy Director for HIV/AIDS issues of the Global Fund project presented RHCF's strategy in providing ART training in nine Russian regions within the framework of the GFATM Round 4.

Representatives of UNICEF, AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW), American International Health Alliance (AIHA), and Community of PLWHA outlined their efforts in training, pinpointing resources (trainers and training materials) available to their organizations.

-Participants agreed on coordinating training to support the scale up of ART in the Russian Federation.

-A roadmap of activities was developed concentrating on the following main topics: ART, PMTCT, PEP, pediatric ART, co-infections (TB, hepatitis B and C), palliative care, laboratory diagnostics, monitoring, adherence to treatment, and management of opportunistic infections as well as training addressed to nurses, social workers and psychologists.

-A database of trainers and trainees will be jointly developed and regularly updated. Acute gaps in funding or need for training in specific topics can be addressed to group members, i.e. WHO will fund 4 participants from 2 of its pilot regions to attend a workshop in Moscow organized by RHCF.

-It was also decided to hold regular meetings with all parties to update each other on the latest developments in the field of ART training and available training materials and trainers in the nine regions of the Global Fund Round 4.

20.02.06

On 20-22 February, 2006 the Federal AIDS Center together with the "Russian Health Care Foundation" shall hold a seminar on the subject of "Promoting a Therapy for IDUs in prisons and HAART adherence in prisons".

The training will be held within the framework of the Program of "Promoting a Strategic Response to HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care for vulnerable population in the Russian Federation", aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality in connection with the HIV-infection by means of the development of prophylaxis, treatment and also psycho-social support for PLWHA, in particular, among the vulnerable population.

The main goal of the training is to train specialists in holding of seminars-trainings on treatment of HIV-infected in the Federal Penitentiary Sector independently.

10.02.06

On February 6-10 the American International Health Alliance (AIHA) has implemented a five-day introductory course on quality improvement of laboratory tests in diagnosis and treatment of HIV/AIDS at Saratov AIDS Center with the participation of international and local faculties.

Harvey George, Ph.D., member of APHL, Director of Diagnostic Laboratories, Massachusetts State Laboratory Institute, US has been teaching the course together with local faculties from Federal AIDS Center (supported by the Russian Health Care Foundation) represented by Evgenia Buravtsova, Chief of Laboratory, Lidia Serebrovskaya, Immunology department.

The material was drawn from WHO, NIH, CDC, APHL, and published scientific literature and distilled to provide an intensive but brief overview of essential elements of laboratory practices and procedures important to the effective care and treatment of persons infected with HIV. The topics included laboratory quality assurance and quality control, the proper use of personal protective equipment and biologic safety cabinets, specific testing methods for flow cytometry to measure CD4 concentration, viral load testing, PCR, interpretation of the Western Blot assay for HIV antibody, the selection and handling of specimens for analysis, and critical values and issues in the testing and reporting of test results to manage HIV and opportunistic infections including tuberculosis and other opportunistic infections.

A total Number of 23 participants from different regions in Russia have attended the training course in Saratov, including heads of laboratory departments from AIDS Centers, specialists in serology, immunology and PCR diagnosis. The half of participants were representatives of the four sites of the Russian Health Care Foundation project - Saratov, Irkutsk, Krasnodar and Volgograd.

9.02.06

The Agreement was concluded between the Russian Health Care Foundation and the Administration of Volgograd Oblast on participation of Volgograd Oblast in realization of the Program "Promoting a Strategic Response to HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care for Vulnerable Populations in the Russian Federation", financed by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. The Working Group on Program Realization has been approved (the Chairman and the Regional Program Coordinator - Mr. Filippov A.G.- Deputy Chairman of the Health Care Committee). The Agreement provides for the delivery of ARVs for treatment of PLWHAs. Within the various scope the support will be implemented for carrying out the prophylactic measures and outreach service for the most vulnerable to groups ( IDUs, commercial sex-workers and men making practice of sex with men), as well as forming cadres on treatment, care and support of PLWHA and other activity.

8.02.06

The 1st Eastern European and Central Asian AIDS conference - taking place in Moscow on 15-17 May 2006 - marks the first time all stakeholders involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the region will meet and share experiences and lessons learned.

30.01.06 

The Agreement has been concluded between the Russian Health Care Foundation and the Administration of the Saratov Oblast on participation of the Saratov Oblast in realization of the Program " Promoting a Strategic Response to HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care for Vulnerable Populations in the Russian Federation", financed by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.
Ministry of Health and Social Support of the Saratov Oblast issued an Order as "About foundation of the Coordinating Counsel under the Control for the Realization of the Program of the Global Fund "Promoting a Strategic Response to HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care for Vulnerable Populations in the Russian Federation".
The Coordinating Counsel has been approved (the Chairman - Mokletzov E.N. - Deputy Minister).

The Memorandum on the Coordinating Counsil has been approved.

The Working Group on Realization of the Program has been approved ( the Chairman and Regional Coordinator - Mrs. Potemina L.P., Chief Doctor of Regional AIDS Center)

The Agreement provides for the delivery of ARVs. Within the various scope the support will be implemented for carrying out the prophylactic measures and outreach service for the most vulnerable social groups ( IDUs, commercial sex-workers and men making practice of sex with men), as well as forming cadres on treatment of HIV/AIDS, care and support of PLWHA and other activity.

25.01.06 

According to Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of 21, January 2006 #24 the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has been added to the list of foreign and international organizations whose grants are not accounted for taxation of the incomes of Russian organizations - the grants recipients.

21.01.06 

The corporative meeting was held between the representatives of the Russian Health Care Foundation, Federal Scientific -Methodological Center on the Prophylactic and Fight against AIDS, World Health Care Organization (WHO), USA Agency on the International Development (USAID) and the American International Health Alliance (AIHA).
The meeting was dedicated to the organization and carrying out the seminars and training in antiretrovirus therapy, i.e. three-day training (as from January the 18th up to January the 20th, 2006) about clinic component, organized under support of the American International Health Alliance and included to the program of ten-day training course on antiretrovirus therapy for the trainers.

In the agenda of the above meeting the issues have been presented such as the necessity of organization of the further education under antiretrovirus therapy for the specialists from regions, format for held of that kind trainings, interests in the mutual international projects and evaluation by the international experts of the fulfilled work.

The educational seminar for the federal trainers is being held by the Russian Health Care Foundation and the Federal Scientific-methodological Center on Prophylactic and Fight against AIDS within the frameworks of the task solution presented in the Program of the Russian Health Care Foundation on the widening of availability of qualified medical aid to HIV infected persons, who need to be treated as well as those endangered the risk of being HIV infected.

16.01.06 

Within the Program "Promoting a Strategic Response to HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care for Vulnerable Populations in the Russian Federation" on January 16-21, 2006 the Federal Scientific Methodological Center for AIDS Control and Prevention and the Russian Health Care Foundation carry on a seminar on ART for personnel of regional and territorial centers participating in the Program. A 3 days training on ART treatment is planned to be held by Dr. Frank Rhame, who represents the American International Health Alliance.

23-24.10.05 

23-24.10.05 In the Scientific Research Institute on Epidemiology the prime working meeting was held under the Program "Promoting a Strategic Response to HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care for Vulnerable Populations in the Russian Federation". The mail goal of the meeting was the preparation of the organizational-methodical basis of the regions-participants for the fulfillment of the program on foundation of effectively working system of render medical aid to the people with HIV/AIDS, in particular belonging to the most vulnerable groups of population. In the meeting the leading specialists of the Federal scientific-methodical center on Prophylactic and Fight against AIDS have been participated as well as leading specialists of Rospotrebnadzor of Russia, the representatives of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation, Russian Health Care Foundation, non-governmental organizations, as well as the management staff of AIDS centers, the representatives of Regional Healthcare Authorities and medical services of Penitentiary System from the regions which have been selected for participation in the Program.

5.10.05 

The Country's Coordination Committee held its meeting which approved the list of the regions involved by the Program. Even in the first year of the Program implementation, it will cover 10 substitutes of the Federation:

• Altai Krai
• Volgograd Region
• Irkutsk Region
• Kaliningrad Region
• Krasnodar Krai
• Leningrad Region
• Saratov Region
• Sverdlov Region
• Tyumen Region
• Chelyabinsk Region.

The regions' selection was based on the criteria, taking into account severity of the epidemics, requirements for the supply of anti-retroviral drugs, and readiness of the regional authorities and services for cooperation.
 

6.06.05 

The Russian Health Care Foundation and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have signed a substantial grant of US$ 34.2 million worth. The Russian Health Care Foundation (RHCF) is the principal recipient of the Program. The agreement covers the first two-year phase of the program of "Promoting a Strategic Response to HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care for Vulnerable Populations in the Russian Federation", which will support a comprehensive treatment program addressing the needs of specific vulnerable groups. Resources will also be used to cover the costs of strengthening the infrastructure and training.

Russia has already got one HIV/AIDS grant from the Global Fund, approved in October 2003, and made by an NGO consortium doing prevention work in the same vulnerable communities.

The targeted communities in both the Global Fund grants have been chosen because of the high rates of HIV