News

17.08.09

In Ivanovo, young people are developing a health promotion project. On August 13, 2009 (Thursday), the Committee for Youth Affairs of the Ivanovo City Administration held a discussion of issues related to interagency cooperation under the volunteer movement to promote healthy lifestyles.

Its participants included: Svetlana Shmeleva, Chairperson, City Committee for Youth Affairs, representatives from the House of Hope Foundation and the City Foundation for Youth. During the discussion, leaders of civil society groups presented their health promotion initiatives for the Year of Youth.

Supported by the Russian Health Care Foundation (as part of the Program: Strategic Response to HIV/AIDS -- Treatment and Care for Vulnerable Populations in the Russian Federation), the Ivanovo City Foundation for Youth jointly with the City Youth Centre opened a communication centre for drug-addicted adolescents under the Succession Youth Club. In this centre, well-trained specialists provide individual services for such adolescents, including free-of-charge consultations from lawyers, psychologists, infectionists, addiction specialists, gynaecologists, TB doctors, skin and venereal disease specialists. Since its opening, over 500 persons have been provided with such services. Almost all of them have been tested for HIV in the AIDS Centre.

At the initiative of the House of Hope Foundation, since spring 2009, city youth organizations have been proactively engaged in prevention of HIV, STIs and viral hepatites B and C among labour migrants. The project has covered over 200 representatives of the target group. Health and social consultations have been provided. The AIDS Centre and the TB Dispensary effectively contribute to and support this project. A special emphasis is made on trainings and seminars for volunteers.

08.07.09

Source: Reuters -- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is facing a budget hole of about $3 billion as the recession dries up foreign aid, the Geneva-based funding body said on Friday.

Spokeswoman Marcela Rojo said that $170 million is still needed to pay for the programmes the Global Fund committed to supporting last year, and it will need $2.5 billion to $3 billion to maintain and finance programmes planned for 2010.
"The Global Fund will need a substantially higher amount than the one pledged at the last replenishment in Berlin in 2007 ($10 billion)," she told Reuters, saying fundraising drives in 2010 "will be absolutely critical".
"The decisions that are made in the next 18 months will be critical for sustaining the gains achieved in global health so far and further scaling up programmes," Rojo said.

The United States -- whose economy has contracted sharply following last year's credit crunch and which has funnelled public funds into bailing out banks -- is the largest donor supporting public health programmes through the Global Fund.
Washington has pledged more than $4.4 billion since the body was created in 2002 to tackle the three deadly epidemics.

Japan, another major aid provider whose economy has faltered in the global downturn, has given more than $1 billion to date.

Question marks over funding for the Global Fund's long-term programmes may raise public health threats, because patients receiving AIDS and tuberculosis drugs need to keep taking the treatment to avoid developing resistance to it.
The body, which works with United Nations agencies and also raises money through the sale of computers, clothing and retail goods with the product (RED) label, has approved $15.6 billion in funding in 140 countries to date. It has disbursed nearly $8 billion so far.

As of the end of last year, it had provided AIDS treatment to 2 million people and tuberculosis treatment to 4.6 million people, and distributed 70 million insecticide-treated bed nets worldwide to prevent malaria infections.
Earlier this week, the head of the United Nations agency UNAIDS Michel Sidibe called on donor countries to maintain their commitments to help the 33.2 million people worldwide infected with HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS.
He estimated that the Global Fund was running $4 billion short of the amount it needed to fund AIDS projects it was already running or had committed to financing.

07.07.09

Source: unaids.org -- A joint Word Bank/UNAIDS report looks at the potential impact of the global financial crisis on HIV prevention and treatment programmes worldwide. Using data collected in March 2009 from 71 countries, the analysis looks at how the crisis could affect the nearly 4 million people living with HIV on treatment, and the 7 million who need treatment but don’t have access to it, and proposes some appropriate responses. The potential effects on prevention activities were also investigated.

The financial crisis started in the most-developed economies, but its impact has been felt in virtually all nations, leading to fears that donor assistance will remain flat or be cut, the budgetary revenues of developing countries will fall and worker remittances will decline. Many households may experience increased mortality and morbidity if the commitments made by the international community to sustain and increase access to antiretroviral treatment are not honoured and/or government expenditures on AIDS are reduced.

The report notes that an important lesson learned during previous crises is that cuts in core social development spending have long-term negative effects. Responding to fiscal pressures by reducing spending on HIV will reverse recent gains and require high-cost offsetting measures over the longer term.

At present, nearly 4 million people are on antiretroviral treatment in the countries surveyed. Many more, however, would benefit if treatment were made available to them. Combination antiretroviral treatment, typically three drugs taken daily, suppresses levels of HIV (the ‘viral load’) in the blood to undetectable levels and halts progressive damage to the body’s immune system. By taking the drugs as prescribed, people living with HIV can stay healthy, well and productive. However, if there are interruptions in taking the drugs, for example because of cutbacks in funding for AIDS treatment programmes, HIV replication is no longer suppressed and life-threatening conditions will develop, drug resistance will increase and there will be an increased potential for HIV transmission.

The report describes how respondents in 11% of the countries surveyed (home to 427,000 people on treatment) reported that the global crisis had already affected treatment programmes in their countries. Respondents in 31% of countries, with 1.8 million people on treatment, reported that they expect impacts on treatment this year, while 30% of countries were unsure if treatment would be affected. Programmes were found to be especially vulnerable in sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern and Central Europe and the Caribbean.

Programmes are vulnerable for a variety of reasons, including declining household incomes (in Africa, for example, household out-of-pocket spending accounts for up to 60% of total health expenditures) and uncertain external aid assistance, but the report notes that the effects would be the same whatever the reason for programme curtailment: increased mortality and morbidity, greater transmission risks, higher financial costs in the long run and an increased burden on health systems as more ill people crowd public hospitals.

For every two people accessing HIV treatment, another five people are becoming infected with HIV. Preventing new infections is therefore key to responding to the epidemic. However, the survey discovered that in 34 countries, where 75% of people with HIV live, prevention programmes for populations at higher risk are forecast to be affected. Programmes for these populations seem to be at risk because they are politically easier to cut; however, the consequences would be severe: less prevention that results in more new infections will mean greater future treatment needs, with large cost implications.

While the results of the survey are worrying, the report does give recommendations on interventions that could help to address the crisis. Using existing funding better by moving resources from low-impact to high-impact programmes and addressing urgent funding gaps are highlighted as measures that should be taken. Monitoring systems, including for treatment interruptions and the importance of planning for an uncertain environment are other issues that need to be given attention.

27.06.09

On June 24-25, 2009, a conference to discuss lessons learnt from strategic efforts to ensure universal access to HIV services in the Rostov Oblast was held in Rostov-on-the-Don as part of a meeting of the Regional Interagency HIV Council. The Conference was held on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Regional AIDS Centre.

It was focused on such issues as organisational aspects and delivery of prevention and treatment services in response to the current status of the epidemic in the region, provision of inpatient care to HIV/AIDS patients, interagency cooperation and practical experience sharing.

The Conference brought together over 200 specialists from all Russian regions. A. Pankratov, Program Manager from the Russian Health Care Foundation, made a presentation to show how the Rostov Oblast participated in the Global Fund Program of the 4th Round.

The Conference resulted into publication of a set of scientific articles and papers. During the event, its participants visited an HIV isolation department in the Regional AIDS Centre. This department for 50 beds had been opened in January 2009. They also saw how inpatient care is provided to HIV/AIDS patients. In addition, there was a display of pharmaceutical products and medical equipment from lead companies and an exhibition of posters and publications. Each participant received an information package.

The Russian Health Care Foundation acted as the general sponsor of the Conference.

27.05.09

On May 25-29, 2009, the Russian Health Care Foundation offers training in HIV and viral hepatites B and C prevention practices for health personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The training takes place in Moscow under the National Priority Health Project.

Lectures and seminars are delivered by specialists from the Federal AIDS Centre to train infectionists, epidemiologists, laboratory physicians, and nurses of the military health service in HIV epidemiology, prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

The training of military health personnel is expected to help to:
- Improve the effectiveness of interventions to prevent the spread of HIV and viral hepatites B and C in the Army; and
- Reduce the incidence of HIV and viral hepatites B and C in the Army.

20.05.09

On May 17, 2009, the City of Angarsk (Irkutsk Oblast) was the venue of a campaign under the motto Together against AIDS undertaken in the memory of those killed by AIDS.

Though the weather was nasty, the event was successful. It brought together students, activists from such NGOs as A Step to Help You, Red Cross, Transfiguration, Harmony, officials from the Youth Policy, Sports and Culture Department of the Angarsk City Administration.

The campaign included dissemination of printed information. Later, its participants lit candles in the memory of those who had died of AIDS. Public information activities aimed at preventing HIV took place in health facilities, schools, and enterprises of the city.

On May 17, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., a similar event took place in Irkutsk on the Angara River embankment. It was organised by the Irkutsk Oblast AIDS Centre, Irkutsk Department of the Russian Red Cross, and the Revival Centre Irkutsk Regional NGO. Volunteers disseminated printed information about HIV prevention, and physicians and a psychologist form the Regional AIDS Centre provided STI and HIV/AIDS counselling services to people passing by.

The red ribbon (symbolising the international movement against AIDS) of rose petals was laid down on the embankment. In conclusion of the event, its participants launched balloons to commemorate those who had died of AIDS.

19.05.09

On May 17, 2009, a concert in the memory of those who had died of AIDS took place in the City garden in Biysk (the Altai Kray). It was organised by the Choice Regional NGO with inputs from the Zero Three Rock Group and supported by the Department of Culture, Sports and Youth Policy of the Biysk City Administration.

Before the concert, volunteers from the Choice Regional NGO disseminated booklets to inform people about the International AIDS Memorial Day and projects implemented by this NGO.

In conclusion, candles were arrays in the form of the red ribbon and lit up.

Note: The Choice NGO is implementing a non-medical service project under the Program: Strategic Response to HIV -- Care and Treatment for Vulnerable Populations in the Russian Federation funded by the Russian Health Care Foundation.

18.05.09

On May 17, 2009, the centre of the Volgograd City became the venue of an event in the memory of those who had died of AIDS called Positive Action.

It was organised by the Communication+ Self-Support Group of people living with HIV on the occasion of the International AIDS Memorial Day. The campaign included dissemination of red ribbons symbolising the fight against AIDS, printed information, balloons with stories about people living with HIV and their appeal to society written on them. The balloons were launched near the central fountains, which was the culmination of the event.

Note: The Communication+ Self-Support Group was established 3 years ago under the HIV/AIDS Direct Non-Medical Service Project in Volgograd as part of the Program: Strategic Response to HIV -- Treatment and Care for Vulnerable Populations in the Russian Federation.

14.05.09

On May 13, 2009, the Government of the Chelyabinsk Oblast convened a meeting of the Trilateral Board for Settlement of Social and Labour Relations; it was chaired by Yu. Klepov, Deputy Governor of the Chelyabinsk Oblast.

The meeting was attended by: E. Murzina, Minister of Economic Development of the Chelyabinsk Oblast; M. Moskvicheva, First Deputy Minister of Health of the Chelyabinsk Oblast; N. Buyakov, Chairman, Federation of Trade Unions of the Chelyabinsk Oblast; V. Panov, President, PROMASS Chelyabinsk Regional Association of Employers; M. Shegai, Project Leader, HIV Prevention Project for target groups, Russian Health Care Foundation; and M. Grishin, Chairman, Board of the Take Care of Yourself Chelyabinsk City Charity Foundation.

M. Shegai from the Russian Health Care Foundation made a presentation to highlight the progress of the hepatites B and C and HIV workplace prevention programs under the National Priority Health Project in 2009. M. Grishin reported about progress of such activities in Ufaleinikel enterprises (Verkhniy Ufalei, Chelyabinsk Oblast).

Based on reviewed considerations, Y. Klepov recommended to make the following steps:
- upon completion of the hepatites B and C and HIV workplace prevention project in the Ufaleinikel Joint Stock Company, to hold an expanded meeting with officials from the Oblast Administration, associations of trade unions and employers and representatives from the non-commercial sector to share the gained experience with a view to replicating it in other enterprises in the Chelyabinsk Oblast;
- to instruct the Ministry of Health of the Chelyabinsk Oblast to take additional measures to replicate hepatites B and C and HIV prevention activities in workplaces;
- to cause a delegation of the Chelyabinsk Oblast to participate in the 3rd Regional HIV/AIDS Conference for Eastern Europe and Central Asia on October 28 – 30, 2009;
- as soon as possible, to prepare all needed documents to amend the Agreement between the Federation of Trade Unions of the Chelyabinsk Oblast, associations of Chelyabinsk Oblast employers and the Administration of the Chelyabinsk Oblast through including therein the following additional clause: Facilitation in replication of corporate social programs of health promotion in workplaces, including prevention of such socially significant diseases as HIV, vaccinations of employees to protect them against viral infections.

13.05.09

As of today, both in Russia and in the Sverdlovsk Oblast, high HIV prevalence creates an emergency situation.

Ten Russian regions, including the Sverdlovsk Oblast, account for 60% of all HIV cases.

As of May 1, 2009, there were 40,116 registered HIV cases in the Sverdlovsk Oblast, which means that the HIV prevalence was 899.7 per 100,000 population, i.e. 2.8 times higher that in Russia on the average. In 2009, 1,181 HIV cases were registered. In terms of the absolute cumulative number of HIV-infected people, this region is ranked the second among Russian regions, and in terms of the cumulative prevalence, it is the 5th among Russian regions.

The epidemic affects all social and age groups: 58.0% of HIV-infected people identified in 2008 are young people aged 18-29; and 31.1% are working people and students.

Currently, in the Sverdlovsk Oblast, all ways of HIV transmission (injection drug use, sexual contacts and vertical transmission) are found. Every year, 800-900 babies are born of HIV-positive mothers in the Sverdlovsk Oblast. The total number of babies born of HIV-infected mothers is 5,900. HIV was diagnosed in 470 babies.

In recent years, the sexual transmission has been increasingly growing in the Sverdlovsk Oblast, but intravenous drug use remains the most prevalent way of transmission.

Recent years also see a growth in primary incidence of drug addiction in the Sverdlovsk Oblast. In 2007, 2,403 new cases of drug addiction were registered, and its prevalence reached 54.5 per 100,000 population (versus 520 new cases in 2003 with the prevalence being 11.9 per 100,000 population, i.e. the rate increased 4.5 times). Twenty five municipal entities of the region face crisis or pre-crisis situations with drug use.

Moreover, the share of sexual transmissions of HIV is annually growing: from 4.0% in 2000 up to 41.3% in 2008. The growth is particularly noticeable among women: from 9.5% in 2000 to 63.4% in 2008.

The Sverdlovsk Oblast is the first in lethal outcomes in the Ural Federal Okrug. As of May 1, 2009, 4,347 HIV-infected people died from various causes; they included 999 AIDS patients (22.9%), of whom 355 people died in 2008. A growing number of people with HIV die of TB: 482 persons (11%). Drug overdose accounts for a large share of deaths among HIV-infected people: 738 deaths (19 %).

However, in 2008, for the first time during many years, the Sverdlovsk Oblast showed a trend towards stabilisation of HIV death rates.

In 2008, owing to a proactive public awareness campaign under the motto Find out your HIV status, and a campaign to attract HIV-positive people to the Regional AIDS Centre, the region managed to raise the level of HIV detection among people aged 30-39 and 40-49, who had been infected in the early 2000-ies.

These age groups are of particular concern for physicians, because it is now when patients infected in 1999 – 2000 are affected with serious secondary diseases killing them. Among patients of this category, key killers are AIDS and TB. TB poses a grave threat to HIV patients and is the most prevalent cause of their condition aggravation and death. During the entire period of observation, 482 HIV patients died of TB.

As of today, 5,545 HIV patients are under antiretroviral treatment in the Sverdlovsk Oblast. It is more than in any other Russian region. The coverage with antiretroviral treatment increased from 13% of patients in need in 2005 up to 99% in 2008.

”In Russia, the AIDS Memorial Day has been marked for 16 years. The number of people for whom this day is really significant is increasingly growing. But today, we can say that people with HIV have a real chance to live. Owing to public finance and pharmaceuticals supplied under programs funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, HIV patients are treated with antiretroviral drugs. The only things which are needed from them is the readiness for life-long administration of ARV drugs, treatment regimen adherence, responsible attitude to their own health and mandatory regular health checks. All these are for the sake of life, for the sake of victory over death”, says Olga Prokhorova, Head, Department of Prevention and Psychosocial Counselling, Sverdlovsk Oblast AIDS Centre.