The International AIDS Conference AIDS 2024 has become a platform for discussing many important issues related to HIV/AIDS, especially in emergency situations. One of the interesting sessions in the AIDS2024 Global Village was the session by the VirusOFF platform, “The Impact of Humanitarian Support on the Motivation of Key Population Representatives to Engage with HIV Prevention and Treatment Programs During War.” The session participants included representatives from the regional platform itself, as well as HelpNowHub Foundation (Poland), Estonian Network of People Living with HIV (EHPV), and “BaltHUB – the Refugee Support Network in Nordic and Baltic Countries.”
With the outbreak of the large-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022, key populations, such as people who inject drugs, sex workers, people living with HIV, and the LGBTQ+ community, found themselves in extremely difficult conditions. In these critical circumstances, the regional platform VirusOFF with the support of ViiV HealthCare Positive Action, organized comprehensive humanitarian assistance for these communities in Ukraine, providing access to food, medicine, hygiene products, clothing, and relocation support.
“Our project had several key features,” shares Oksana Dobroskok, Program Coordinator, VirusOFF and session speaker.
“First of all, it was the participation of community representatives themselves – services were provided by them, which facilitated quick communication and targeted assistance. Not only medical but also social support was provided, including food, medicines, hygiene products, clothing and assistance with relocation. Also, people who received support were more likely to trust the organizations providing these services and were more motivated to get tested for HIV, to receive antiretroviral therapy, and to receive counseling from social workers, psychologists, and lawyers.”
Oksana Dobroskok emphasizes, – “Humanitarian assistance can and should be integrated into HIV prevention and treatment programs, especially in crisis situations. Representatives of key populations at war need comprehensive support that includes not only medical but also social aspects. Humanitarian aid organizations must actively collaborate with medical and social services to ensure that these services are accessible and attractive to those in need.”
The project that VirusOFF began implementing in April 2022 with the help of ViiV HealthCare Positive Action, and which has already reached about 2,000 people, demonstrates a direct connection between receiving humanitarian aid and increased motivation among key populations to engage with HIV prevention and treatment programs. Thanks to the continued support of ViiV HealthCare Positive Action we manage to provide vital support to concrete community members through partnering with local grassroots community organisations.
In the last two months, 146 people were reached, of whom 71 received additional assistance, representing 48.6% of the total number of primary clients. This data shows that humanitarian assistance not only meets the basic needs of people in war, but also becomes a powerful catalyst for accessing health and social services.
The session also featured a video produced by the very activists who were involved in the project.
Humanitarian support plays a critical role in engaging members of key populations in health and social services, which is particularly important in war contexts where conventional support mechanisms may be disrupted or unavailable. And an integrated approach, where humanitarian assistance serves not only as a means of survival, but also as a motivating factor for accessing health and social care, is critical. This was also emphasized during her presentation by the speaker of the session – Natalia Tyunyagina, a board member of the HelpNowHub Foundation, a service that provides assistance to Ukrainian migrants from key groups.
“In Poland now there are no social payments for Ukrainian refugees or other types of material support from the state. As of July 1, 2024, the allowance for citizens and organizations providing housing for refugees has been abolished, and everyone is obliged to pay for accommodation in mass housing. Loss of access to subsidized housing and the ability to cover basic needs will significantly affect Ukrainian citizens from vulnerable groups and other migrants, which carries risks of treatment interruption (costs of transportation to clinics available only in major cities, ART for children is available only in 3 clinics in the country), access to tests, inability to get free post-exposure prophylaxis and preventive treatment – only with a doctor’s prescription and for a fee of 100-200 Euros per month. Access and opportunities for humanitarian and financial support can help refugees by opening new opportunities for integration in the host country.”
“The HelpNowPL Foundation has succeeded in the past year in closing the basic needs of those who have come to us for help, as well as mobilizing the community and training 20 volunteer advisors from key groups, introducing offline/online self-help groups, implementing several mini-projects and developing a volunteer support network. Although we are currently operating on a volunteer basis, HelpNowPL continues to provide counseling and support to communities. We are doing our best to turn emergency response to existing challenges into a sustainable service.”
Latsin Alijev, the Chair of the Estonian Network of People Living with HIV (EHPV), shared EHPV’s experience in Estonia, particularly in providing integrated services for refugees. Latsin shared best practices from EHPV on providing work opportunities for migrant clients and the positive outcomes from such engagement. The Chair of EHPV also spoke about the work of BaltHUB — a regional network of PLHIV and key population organizations in Nordic and Baltic countries. BaltHUB unites organizations from Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine and provides informational support to migrants and refugees about existing and accessible services in these countries.
“Humanitarian aid is not just support in difficult times; it is a way for people to see hope and regain confidence in the future. Our efforts within BaltHUB are focused on ensuring that every individual, even in war, feels cared for and supported, motivating them to access life-saving health and social services.” — highlighted Latsin Alijev, the Chair of the Estonian Network of People Living with HIV (EHPV), and BaltHUB Representative.
“The aim of our session is to show the importance of humanitarian support not only as a tool for humanitarian response, but also as an effective mechanism to engage people in health and social services in war. This research and practical experience can become a basis for developing new strategies and approaches in public health and humanitarian assistance in crisis.” – summarizes Oksana Dobroskok.
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