Olena and Serhii (names changed) are a couple from Kherson region who moved to Kropyvnytskyi after the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Unfortunately, due to the lack of some documents, they were never able to obtain internally displaced persons (IDP) status. This made it harder to access social support, to receive ART, and the occasional temporary jobs they found did not protect them from constant financial hardship.
“Sometimes we didn’t even know how to survive the next day,” recalls Olena. For the family, this was especially difficult, since both of them need ongoing medical treatment, and Serhii, during the war, was released from prison into extremely harsh conditions.
Within the framework of the VirusOFF emergency aid project, funded by ViiV Healthcare Positive Action, the family received essential support in these difficult circumstances. At first, Olena received help, and later Serhii as well. They managed to take several critically important steps: enrolling Olena in an opioid substitution therapy program, resuming ART for Serhii, undergoing medical examinations, and starting treatment for tuberculosis, which had relapsed after remission due to poor nutrition and delayed access to doctors.
Serhii underwent a medical commission at the territorial recruitment center, where he was taken after being served several draft notices. The family intends to use all medical conclusions to apply for social assistance and disability status.
“For us, this assistance is a chance to survive and restore our health. We are grateful that in the hardest moments there were people nearby who didn’t let us face the misfortune alone,” says Olena.
This material was prepared as part of the VirusOFF emergency aid project funded by ViiV Healthcare Positive Action. The project has been active since March 2022 and provides emergency humanitarian and social support through the VirusOFF platform to members of key populations affected by HIV, as well as to local organizations. To date, over 1,500 individuals from these communities have received assistance through the project.