Ukraine HIV Research Training Program

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The New York State International Training and Research Program (NYS-ITRP) at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University proposes to provide training to improve access to COVID-19 services to people living with HIV (PLWH) in Ukraine. This goal will be achieved by systematically assessing the service gaps affecting PLWH in Ukraine and creating a modular training curriculum for Ukraine’s HIV and COVID health workforce. The project will build on the HIV research training infrastructure and capacities developed during the previous years of the parent D43 grant Ukraine HIV Research Training Program. Key partners include the Ukrainian Institute on Public Health Policy and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla (NaUKMA). Our consortium is ideally suited to accomplish the proposed aims and produce timely and sustainable health workforce training. The COVID-19 pandemic and the public health response continue to have an unprecedented impact across the globe. While the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 seems to be indiscriminate, some populations experience more severe consequences compared to others. The impact of COVID-19 and associated health disparities due to HIV status have been particularly acute in low- and middle-income countries, including Ukraine. Key factors that increase the severity of impact include socioeconomic vulnerability, presence of co-morbidities that increase severity of COVID-19 disease, and disruption in receiving vital health services. In Ukraine, PLWH, many of whom have a history of illicit drug use or sex work, are vulnerable to all these factors. To ensure uninterrupted provision of HIV and COVID- related services to PLWH, an effective public health response should include an objective assessment of existing service gaps and contributing factors and the development of a workforce with specific knowledge of COVID-19 impact and skills to address emergencies. Specific aims include analyzing trends in HIV service provision and assessing the impact of COVID-19 and health sector response on key indicators; identifying service gaps and factors contributing to gaps in the HIV treatment cascade and COVID-related service provision to PLWH; identifying priorities for capacity building for Ministry of Health (MoH) personnel, the Public Health Center, regional health departments and public health centers, and HIV service workforce; and increasing the capacity of public health and medical professionals in sustaining key service provision during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and other health emergencies. Upon project completion, the curriculum will be further developed, scaled up, and sustained by our key educational partners at the NaUKMA, the National Academy of Postgraduate Education, and the Public Health Center of the MoH of Ukraine.