The project will develop functioning models of transformed service delivery on HIV and coinfections amongst key populations in de-occupied territories where healthcare infrastructures has been destroyed in Ukraine. The project will deploy a digital community health platform and a mobile van to deliver services.
Context
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine impacted HIV programs, affecting the lives of vulnerable populations. Due to severe disruptions in the mainstream Ukrainian healthcare system and massive migration within the country, there is a huge demand for online medical and postal delivery of commodities. In de-occupied and near front-line territories, in the context of significant destruction of medical infrastructure, migration of medical personal and hostilities, it is worth providing mobile services. The project is proposing self-testing and online counselling to transform health services in the wartime context. Based on substantial people movement, efficiency and cost reduction considerations, paired with artificial intelligence, the aim is to increase case finding yield for various infectious diseases.
Description
The Digital Community Health Platform – Help24 ensures remote access to health services through online counselling mostly for vulnerable populations. It allows strengthening the pool of services offered by clinicians by linking them to the platform for treatment of infectious diseases and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as well as mental health.
The project includes purchasing and equipping one mobile van which circulates along the de-occupied and near front-line territories in East and South of Ukraine. The van delivers rapid self-tests, contains a space for consultation and testing on HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, STIs, using also a GeneXpert for HIV and TB infections. Medical staff provide counseling, screening, distribute condoms and refer those patients who need additional services to the partner NGOs, projects and specialized health facilities in the region.
Impact
Most vulnerable populations from de-occupied and near frontline territories have access to medical services, treatment, as well as TB, HIV and hepatitis testing in Ukraine. More key populations representatives obtain remote health services through the Digital Community Health Platform-Help24. The project contributes in this way to the recovery of Ukraine’s health system during and after the war.
