HIV/AIDS in Ukraine

Spread of AIDS HIV officially reached the territory of the former Soviet Union in 1987, Between 1987 and 1994, 183 infections were reported. In the mid-1990s, the transmission was primarily through injecting drug use. By 2001, however, the proportion of new cases of HIV/AIDS attributable to injecting drug use had declined to 57% from 84% in 1997. During that time, heterosexual transmission increased from 11% to 27%, and perinatal transmission increased from 2% to 13% as a proportion of total cases. prevalence in Ukraine (late 2007) UNAIDS estimates that the number of people infected with HIV/AIDS in 2003 was 360,000 (range 180,000 to 590,000), representing an adult prevalence of 1.4%. According to the Ministry of Health—which estimates that by 2002 there were more than 500,000 people infected or nearly 2% of the adult population—the epidemic has now spread to every oblast in the country. Prevalence in the southern and eastern oblasts (Odesa, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk) is about three times higher than rates in the rest of the country. From 1995 to 2007, the primary means of HIV transmission was through injection drug use, but by 2008, sexual contact outpaced injection drug use as the primary form of transmission. down from 1.46 percent of the population in 2005, or 685,600 citizens, according to UNAIDS. Although HIV/AIDS had remained concentrated among marginalized and vulnerable populations, it was feared in 2008 it may be spreading to the general population. According to the Health Ministry of Ukraine the HIV infection rate fell by 6.7% and mortality from AIDS was down by 7.9% in 2014. Prisons Between 1996 and 2001 about 26 percent in various prisons across Ukraine tested HIV- positive. In a January 2005 study between 15 and 30 percent of prisoners tested HIV- positive. Early 2010 there were over 147,000 people held at prisons and more than 38,000 at pre-trial detention facilities in Ukraine. Spread of AIDS among children The number of children with AIDS in Ukraine is on the rise since the number of mothers with HIV grows by 20-30% annually. According to the United Nations, the number of pregnant women with HIV was 0.34% in 2007, which was the highest index in Europe. According to the United Nations, of nearly 18,000 children born by HIV-positive mothers in Ukraine, 10,200 children have not contracted HIV and another 5,500 children under eighteen months have yet to receive final results of an examination. In Ukraine, 1,877 children have been confirmed as HIV positive and 244 have died of AIDS. The United Nations notes that the program of preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Ukraine has cut the share of such transmission from 27% of the number of HIV cases in 2000 to 7% in 2006. The spread of HIV among the Ukrainian street children attracted a lot of special research interest due to their risky way of life . According to the obtained data around 15.5% of street minors in Ukraine used the injected drugs at least once, 9.8% of boys reported anal sex experience when only 36% of them acknowledged using condom during their most recent sexual encounter. ==Preventive measures==

From 2001 to June 2015, HIV-positive Ukrainian citizens were barred from travelling abroad and HIV-positive foreigners were forbidden to enter Ukraine. Harm reduction programs Since 2003, drug substitution programs have been introduced in Ukraine. By the end of September 2008, they were offered to about 2200 persons in 38 locations. Mostly Buprenorphine (Trademark ‘Subutex‘) is dispensed, which is significantly more expensive than methadone. It is also less frequently used and thoroughly researched worldwide. Buprenophine is more accepted by society and politicians, however, because it is seen as a painkiller, while methadone, in contrast, is viewed as a drug prescribed at the public's expense. In 2012 patients and advocacy groups complained of occasional supply shortages in Ukrainian AIDS clinics. In the War in Donbas, the separatist authorities of the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic have banned methadone and substitution therapy and have taken a hard line on drug addiction and have banned most international medical organizations. ==National response==

The policy and legal environment in Ukraine is generally favorable for combating the spread of HIV/AIDS, but there is a gap between national-level policies and laws and local-level practices. The National AIDS Committee was established in 1992 but was dissolved in 1998 because of budget disputes. In 1999, the government created the National AIDS Control Coordinating Council under the Cabinet and mandated that all regions establish HIV prevention programs. In 2001, a national plan for combating HIV/AIDS was approved; its goals included preventing the further spread of HIV, developing the capacity to treat infected individuals, and providing social support and counseling for those living with HIV/AIDS. ==Statistics==

Note: all statistics till late 2007. File:Modes of HIV transmission in Ukraine in 2007.png|Modes of HIV transmission in Ukraine in 2007 File:Structure of national anti-AIDS spending 2005.jpg|Structure of national anti-AIDS spending in 2005 File:Structure of national anti-AIDS spending 2006.jpg|Structure of national anti-AIDS spending in 2006 == See also ==