The network is fighting for access to treatment for communities vulnerable to HIV

To raise the awareness of HIV-affected communities about quality and access to ART treatment, the Network of PLWH organized a training “Ensuring Access to Quality and Affordable ART Treatment in Ukraine” in Kyiv from July 13 to July 14, 2017.

The main target of the training was to raise the awareness of training participants in manufacturing medicines, expanding access to ART treatment, determining methods, objectives of advocacy and the role of key communities (injecting drug users, sex workers, men who have sex with men) in treatment, adherence to treatment, application of the most qualitative, effective and affordable regimens.

During the training, the expert of the Network of PLWH, Alexandra Volgina, debunked the myths about the ART treatment. She told the participants how generic drugs are different from branded ones; how the patent law affects the price of drugs, and how to reduce prices for ART. The participants also discussed the treatment regimens, quality control of ARV drugs, patient monitoring and interaction with doctors.

The founder of the Life4me + system, Dr. Alex Schneider, informed the participants about the pharmacological aspects of HIV treatment, drugs manufacture, and available medicines for HIV treatment.

The training was conducted in the framework of the project “Unified Consolidated Programme on HIV and Tuberculosis for 2015-2017 in Ukraine” with the support of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.