On April 19-24 Ukrainian doctors and HIV/AIDS activists took part in the Study Tour visit to Amsterdam (Netherlands). Study visit was planned within the framework of the project “Immediate Intervention to improve health of HIV positive women in Kyiv”.

The main objective of the visit was to start a cooperation between Ukrainian medical professionals and their colleagues at the University of Amsterdam Medical Center in order to build a better dialogue and understanding between medical professionals and their clients (HIV-positive women) regarding their treatment, quality of life and future.

Key tasks of the study tour visit are:

1. To explore the system of providing medical and social services to HIV-positive women in the Netherlands.
2. To get familiar on practice with the implementation of the Immediate Intervention Model.
3. To start a cooperation between the local medical professionals and their colleagues at the University of Amsterdam Medical Center.

On behalf of the hosting part from the Dutch side the partners of the visit were the Amsterdam Medical Center (AMC), AIDS Center at the Zuiderzee Hospital in Lelystad, OLVG Hospital in Amsterdam, International NGO Mainline, media project Liveboat.HIV

The participants of the Study Tour visit to Amsterdam were Vira Varyga, project coordinator/ senior social worker, Kyiv branch of All-Ukrainian Network of people living with HIV/AIDS, Oleksandr Yurchenko, Chief Doctor of Kyiv City Clinic #5 and Chief Doctor of Kyiv AIDS Center, Olena Martynenko, Head of the dispensary department of Kyiv AIDS Center at Kyiv City Clinic #5, Tetiana Egorova, Head of the viral hepatitis department of Kyiv City Clinic #5, and Iryna Nerubaieva, project manager of AFEW-Ukraine.

Within the framework of the study tour were conducted the following activities:

• Meeting with representatives of international organizations, AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW) and Mainline Foundation, exploring the system of providing medical and social services to HIV-positive patients in the Netherlands (IDU, PLWHA, with the special focus on women);
• Getting familiar on practice with the implementation of the Immediate Intervention Model to improve the health of HIV-positive women, which is being implemented by “Positive women in the world» (PWW) in close cooperation with the Amsterdam Medical Center in the Netherlands;
• Meetings with doctors of AMC, AIDS Center of Zuiderzee hospital (Lelystad) and OLVG hospital (Amsterdam), launching the cooperation between Dutch and Ukrainian specialists;
• Meetings with volunteers and clients of “Positive women in the world» (PWW);
• Meeting with the team of the media project Liveboat.HIV, Ukrainian group members gave interviews on the situation with the HIV patients in Ukraine and response to the epidemic in the country.

Vira Varyga, project coordinator/ senior social worker, Kyiv branch of All-Ukrainian Network of people living with HIV/AIDS: “Experience exchange in the format of such study tour left unforgettable impression on existing practices in medical and social care for HIV-positive people. Even right now our support group for HIV-positive women “Kyiv woman +” in fact on itself experiencing the results of this trip as an information and humanitarian assistance.”

Tetiana Egorova, Head of the viral hepatitis department of Kyiv City Clinic #5: “The trip to Amsterdam was great! What I has taken for myself from this trip? 1. HIV-infected patients have great support from health and social services. 2. It is very important that each patient had the right of choice in everything – even of a doctor and treatment regimens as it is in the Netherlands. And most important, when HIV+ patients in Amsterdam already have all these rights! 3. The great achievement in Holland is a compulsory taking ARV treatment among all the HIV-positive pregnant women to prevent HIV infection among their future children.”

As a result of the educational study tour visit the participants had a chance not only to deepen their knowledge in the area of health and social services to HIV-positive patients, but also to establish new professional contacts and planned a series of further events with their new Dutch partners, in particular:

1. Doctors among study tour participants invited two international experts – Sylvia Paulette de Rugama Prado, a coordinator of the Positive Women of the World (PWW) and Guido van den Berk, an internist, Infectious disease specialist, Member of a Board of Trustees of AIDS Foundation East-West – to participate in the Kyiv Reginal Forum with the with International Participation “HIV and Aging” 2015, co-organized by menZDRAV – Foundation “Center for Social Development and Support of men’s health” and Kyiv City AIDS Center, which will take place in Kyiv on 19th of May 2015.
2. Was conducted the planning of the next training for HIV-positive women – “Empowering HIV positive women and building networks of mutual support”, which will be held on May 20-21, 2015 in Kyiv.
3. The participants of the study tour were interviewed by media project Liveboat.HIV on the situation with HIV and antiretroviral therapy for HIV+ patients in Ukraine.
4. Thanks to the initiative of medical personnel and social workers and activists from Holland who got imbued with the difficult situation of medicines in Ukraine, the delegation of Ukrainian doctors received ARVs and other medicines as humanitarian aid. Dutch activists continue collecting medicines for Ukrainian patients, including through social networks.

 

The project “Immediate Intervention to improve health of HIV positive women in Kyiv” is implemented in partnership with the Kyiv City Branch of All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, with the financial support of Gilead Sciences Europe Ltd (goSHAPE grants programme).