Our region - Eastern Europe and Central Asia - is the only one in the world where the number of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths continues to increase. This is due to several reasons such as high level of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV (PLHIV) and representatives of key groups, as well as the lack of timely detection of HIV-positive status. Ukraine is not an exception: last year, about half of the newly reported cases of HIV were diagnosed at stage 3 or 4.

Together with NGO “100% Life”, Ukraine’s largest patient organization, and UNAIDS, today we have presented two new tools that will help reduce discrimination against key groups and PLHIV and in turn lead to early detection and early start of HIV treatment.

Following consultations with physicians, lawyers, PLHIV and key communities, we have jointly developed an online course for doctors “HIV: Tolerance and Hope”, which provides important information on HIV prevention, testing and treatment, mother-to-child transmission including also the basics of a relevant regulatory framework and principles of non-discriminatory behavior towards patients. The course is officially accredited by the Ministry of Health: once it is completed, it adds 2 points to the accreditation and an appropriate certificate is issued.

The course is available on the website of the Public Health Center.

In addition, after completing the course, every doctor who has been successful can be added to the friendly doctors’ map. This map is the second tool specifically designed to help PLHIV or representatives of key groups who want to receive quality care without discrimination. It is the intolerant attitude towards people injecting drugs, LGBT communities, etc. that is a major barrier to getting health care.

Today, more than 600 doctors from all over Ukraine have completed a new online training course and 178 of them are already present on the map!

You can learn more about the project and find your friendly doctor on the website.

We thank our partners from “100% Life” - PLHIV network” for their work aimed at making Ukrainians happy, because timely detection and treatment are the first steps towards a long, healthy and happy life.

The project became possible with the support of UBRAF.