With the USAID support, 100% Life covered all primary care physicians in Lviv the training
In 2023, the USAID HealthLink and Your Family Doctor project teams implemented a unique project to train primary care physicians in Lviv and the region in HIV counseling and testing. During 28 training workshops, more than 500 physicians improved in HIV testing, counseling and support for people living with HIV.
The results of the project were immediately impressive. 20,288 patients were tested for HIV in 6 months of 2023. 88 people living with HIV have been identified. This is already significantly higher than in 2022.
“Compared to the whole of last year, the number of cases detected in these six months of 2023 has increased three times. This is a very big outcome. Accordingly, people receive treatment and assistance,” says Nazarii Kolachynskyi, Deputy Head of the Health Department of the Lviv City Council.
During the training, doctors received useful theoretical and practical knowledge and skills, which are certified by a diploma with the CPD score (continuous professional development). Healthcare workers are provided with a set of information materials, including universal manuals for doctors, manuals for communicating with patients, “Ask me about HIV” badges, sticker packs and more. One of the key points in the training was to involve a person from the PLHIV community. Our patient shared his story of living with HIV with the family doctors.
“We are convinced that this will reduce stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV among the medical community in Lviv, and at the same time will be the impetus for increasing the number of HIV tests in our region,” says Sofia Kushnir, CO 100% Life. Lviv.
Primary care physicians are now the guardians of prevention and early detection of many diseases, including HIV.
The training of doctors in Lviv and the region was made possible thanks to the HealthLink project with the support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in cooperation with the “Your Family Doctor” non-government association supported by CO 100% Life. Partners of the event are Lviv City Council and the Second Lviv Medical Association.
“The interest on our part, as the World Health Organization, is to study and understand the experience, to find ways to perhaps improve this system, to extend it to other regions, taking into account the experience that has already been gained,” says Ihor Semenenko, National HIV and Hepatitis Expert of the WHO Office in Ukraine.
After this workshop, I personally detected two HIV-positive people,” says Iryna Zakruta, a general practitioner. “Immediately after the training, I had one HIV-positive result. The patient is taking ARV therapy and she is very satisfied, her condition has improved,” says Oksana Oliynyk, Head of the 1st Therapeutic Department of the 3rd City Polyclinic of Lviv.
The pilot project in Lviv is an example of effective synergy USAID Ukraine, HealthLink: Your Health Partner, TSL: Your Family Doctor, Lviv City Council, Lviv Second Medical Association, Lviv City Council Health Department, CO “BT Network Lviv”!
HealthLink Project: Accelerating Ukraine’s Efforts to End HIV is one of the largest HIV testing projects, which allowed almost a million people to be tested over the past six years! The project is implemented by CO 100% LIFE in partnership with the ICF “Alliance for Public Health” with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). One in every three Ukrainians learned about their HIV+ status learned through the Healthlink project. How and where you can take the test, read more https://prozdorovia.in.ua/khochu-obstezhytys/
The “Your Family Doctor” social project was initiated in 2017 by CO 100% Life. Today, the Public Union “Your Family Doctor” is a leader in the development, education and unification of the community of family doctors in Ukraine.
