CORRECTING and REPLACING AHF UKRAINE: Access to Treatment for HIV-Infected Drug Users is an Important Step to Overcome the Epidemics of HIV and Tuberculosis in Kyiv

KYIV, Ukraine–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Please replace the release issued on December 1, 2016 with the following
corrected version due to multiple revisions.

The corrected release reads:

AHF UKRAINE: ACCESS TO TREATMENT FOR HIV-INFECTED DRUG USERS IS
AN IMPORTANT STEP TO OVERCOME THE EPIDEMICS OF HIV AND TUBERCULOSIS IN
KYIV

The first integrated care center in Kyiv opened on the World AIDS Day
where HIV-positive patients who use drugs can receive services related
to chemical dependency, HIV and tuberculosis. Right now, only one third
of HIV-positive drug users in Kyiv have access to lifesaving services,
including antiretroviral therapy, which is a key condition to overcome
the epidemics of HIV and tuberculosis.

Creation of the integrated care center is a project that is implemented
by the Representative Office of American AIDS Healthcare Foundation
(AHF)
in Ukraine based in the Kyiv City Narcological Hospital
“Sotsioterapiya” and in partnership with Kyiv City Clinical Hospital No.
5, ICF “Alliance of Public Health” and with support from the Kyiv State
City Administration.

Zoya Shabarova, Europe Bureau Chief of AHF, said: “Establishing
of such a center in Kyiv was made possible due to joint efforts of
organizations from the governmental and non-governmental sectors. This
is an example of effective partnership to help HIV-positive patients and
an essential condition for the progress in achieving objectives of the
AHF strategy 20 by 20 which stands for 20 million people receiving HIV
treatment all over the world by 2020). This model of integrated care
should become the gold standard for all the points of substitution
therapy all over the country.

All the conditions needed for comprehensive HIV and TB care are created
at the integrated site. A person can receive full continuum of services
starting from HIV rapid test through support in HIV treatment
initiation, successful retention in care with assistance of substitution
therapy and TB prevention or care.

“Opening of this center will help HIV-positive patients to receive
simultaneous treatment in one place. Previously, these people had to
visit different hospitals to obtain three different medications and
services. Not surprisingly, more than 70% of patients missed treatment
or did not come back to receive care. Owing to this project, access to
continuum of care for HIV-positive patients who use drugs will be
assured,” said Volodymyr Yaryi, chief physician of
KCNCH “Sotsioterapiya.”

“Kyiv took another important step to overcome the epidemics of HIV
and tuberculosis by joining Fast-Track Cities initiative. The
purpose of this initiative is to finally defeat AIDS by 2030 through
actions and commitment of large cities, where almost 70% of all
HIV-positive people reside,” said Mykola Yuriyovych
Povoroznyk, deputy head of Kyiv City State Administration.

Sergei Filippovich, treatment director, the Alliance of Public
Health, said: “Since 2005, the Alliance has been supporting
substitution therapy (ST) sites across the country as a part of the
Global Fund programs. Now more than 9000 clients have access to ST in
173 sites. We support partnership initiatives of the Kyiv City Clinical
Hospital No. 5, Kyiv City Narcological Hospital ‘Sotsioterapiya,’
AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Ukraine, to provide integrated services in
Kiev.”

Today in Kyiv, 939 people are receiving substitution therapy, 368 of
them are HIV positive and need ARV drugs.

Reference:

Opening the integrated care center is a project that is implemented by
the Representative Office of AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) in Ukraine
based in the Kyiv City Narcological Hospital “Sotsioterapiya” and in
partnership with Kyiv City Clinical Hospital No. 5, ICF “Alliance of
Public Health” and with support from the Kyiv State City Administration,

AIDS Healthcare Foundation was established in 1987 in Los
Angeles, as a small community association, whose members were trying to
alleviate the suffering of people who were doomed to die of AIDS. At
present, as part of comprehensive health programs, AHF in partnership
with other organizations provides care, treatment and services to almost
600,000 patients living with HIV in 36 countries in Africa, Asia,
Europe, Latin and North America.

KCNCH “Sotsioterapiya” is the unique national system of
treatment and rehabilitation for patients who have problems with alcohol
and drug abuse and members of their families. KCNCH “Sotsioterapiya” is
a narcological service that serves for the entire Kyiv (about 6,000
hospital patients, 1,500 ambulatory patients and narcological monitoring
of 27,000 narcological patients).

Kyiv City Center for Prevention and Control of AIDS (KCCH No.
5 ) was established in 1999 to provide specialized medical care to
HIV-positive persons and AIDS patients residing in Kyiv. It is located
at the clinical hospital No. 5, 11, Vidpochynku St. The AIDS center
includes an outpatient department, an inpatient department and an
intensive care unit.

“Alliance of Public Health” is an international
Charity Foundation which in cooperation with government partners and
NGOs in all regions of Ukraine have spent more than 10 years
implementing comprehensive programs of prevention and treatment of HIV,
TB and HCV, which cover more than 250,000 people. Since 2005, direct
support for Alliance number of SMT patients in Ukraine increased by 130
times (from 70 to 9,073 patients).

Contacts

AHF Europe
Anna Zakowicz, +31 6 28744655
Deputy Bureau
Chief
anna.zakowicz@aidshealth.org
or
AHF
Europe
Denis Godlevskiy, +7 911 1101310
Advocacy
and marketing manager in Russia and Ukraine
denis.godlevskiy@aidshealth.org