Charity Anti AIDS Foundation is local (regional) charitable organization. Foundation was registered by the Poltava regional Justice Council at October 23, 1998. From July 21, 1997 to 1998 organization functioned under the name "Poltava town branch of the Private Charitable Anti AIDS Fund". Changing of name and reorganization of Fund were made in connection with changes in Ukraine legislation.

The main goal of Charitable Anti AIDS Fund - an introducing the new approaches in deciding to problems of HIV-infections preventive maintenance, recovery and social rehabilitation of HIV-infected and AIDS sick persons; cooperation with international agencies, Ukraine Health Ministry and other organizations, interested in deciding the HIV/AIDS problems.

Poltava region population equals 1 765,6 thousand persons, including the city of Poltava with 323,6 thousand persons. By official data (April 1, 2000) from Poltava regional narcology dispensary, in Poltava city on the account consists 1085 persons, abusing narcotics and other psychoactive substances). 16% from them are HIV-infected. 61% from them are youth at an age before 28 years. Amount of women forms 21,4%, teenagers - 2%. Only 9,6% from them have work, including temporarily, or casual earnings. Students amongst them - 1,5%.

In 1996 in Poltava region was registered 18 HIV carriers, in 1997 their become already 230, in 1998 - 310. Totally in region on April 1, 2000 was registered 768 person with the positive reaction on HIV, 615 from them - in Poltava city.

In 1997 Poltava region comes to the first place in Ukraine by epidemic growth rates. Today near 89,2% of all HIV-infected persons using drugs by injection way. Two Poltava's citizens have "AIDS DISEASE" diagnosis, both are died. In the region there are 36 children, which was infected HIV from mothers under birth. Group of extremely high risk form the women, which are earning money for narcotics by prostitution. Many from them sick by sexual transmitted diseases or HIV-infected. But, as a rule, the obligatory condition of client is an undefended penetrating sex. Given problem requires specific forms of preventive interference.

On watch field epidemic control results, conducted within the framework of the Project "Prophylactic measures on HIV/AIDS preventive maintenance among injection drug users in Poltava-city" at February, 2000, presence of HIV antibodies is discovered in 38% from the total number of blood samples, received to the study (162). Results of conducting study witness that real HIV spreading among target group (38%) much exceeds data, given by stationary hospital epidemic control (10,1%). This fact confirm the suggestion, that true HIV spreading amongst IDUs, has the greater scales through involvement to the epidemic process representatives of high risk group, which are inhering outside of medical and social services. In ditto time, through the financial crisis in our country governmental agencies haven’t the possibility to provide preventive maintenance work and more so AIDS treatment.

Factor of effective HIV-infections preventive maintenance needing - that one course of HIV-positive person treatment cost near 6 800 USD during one year (this amount explained by using AZT only in AIDS treatment). Under established today in Poltava region situations (768 HIV-positives) cost of their disposable rate of treatment will form near 5 222 400 USD. But their amount constantly increases, and, besides, one rate of treatment within the whole period diseases obviously insufficiently.

Thereby, preventive maintenance is vastly more justified, than HIV-infections treatment.

Personnel of Charity Anti AIDS Foundation including:

- President of Foundation

- Coordinators of Programs

- Chief accountant

- Accountant

- Lawyer consultant

- Psychologists

- Chief of social workman's group

- Group of social workmen

Personnel of Fund pass an education on 52 seminars, conducted National Committee on the preventive maintenance of drugs & AIDS, UNO Program Development (UNDP), UNO AIDS Program (UNAIDS), UNIŃEF, "COUNTERPART" Creative Center, East-Ukrainian Resources Center, Eurasia Fund, John Hopkins University, International Family Health organization (FHI), Agency of International Development (USAID), "Beth Israel" Medical Center, Open Society Institute and International "Renaissance" Foundation.

At present time Charity Anti-AIDS Foundation implements 2 prophilactic Programs financially supported by the Open Society Institute (Soros Foundation), NY, USA and International Renaissance Foundation, Kiev, Ukraine.

· Since 1997 to the present time the Charity Anti AIDS Foundation carries out the Program on "HIV/AIDS preventive interventions among the injecting drug us-ers in the city of Poltava" with the financial support of Open Society Institute & Inter-national Renaissance Foundation.

· Since Nowember, 2000 - new Program "HIV/STD prevention among the commercial sex workers in the city of Poltava"

Purposes of prophylactic Programs are:

- shaping less dangerous comparatively HIV among injection drug users;

- shaping a safe sexual behavior among injection drug users, commercial sex workers and their clients;

- increasing knowledge's degree of the target group representatives about HIV, STD and drug abusing problems;

- shaping a public opinion, identical to modern vision of HIV problems, in-cluding ways of its spreading, prophylactic and treatment

Existing prophylactic projects is directed to following social groups:

· Injection drug users

· Commercial sex workers, which are use drugs

· Members of their families

· Broad public

Realization of prophylactic Programs including 3 components:

I. Preparing the information-educational materials on the HIV/STD preventive maintenance for IDUs: using experience of a Program "Prophylactic measures on HIV/AIDS preventive maintenance among injection drug users in Poltava-city" realiza-tion - together with sociologists, psychologists to develop new and to improve earlier released information-educational materials. With direct IDUs participation on the contest base to prepare information-educational material (leaflets, posters, booklets) on ques-tions:

· basic information about HIV, STD, drug using;

· ways of a harm reducing under injection narcotics entering;

· forms of the safe sexual behavior;

· information about possibility of getting medical and social support;

· information about possibility of getting sterile equipment and other facili-ties.

Publishing material will spread amongst IDUs, on field trust points, in organiza-tions and founding, where IDUs will be able to get a help, on length of the whole Pro-gram functioning. On different stages of Program realization will be conducted behav-ioral researches. Their results give possibility to evaluate the efficiency of this direction - how raised level of IDU's knowledge, how raised IDU's visiting to recommended medi-cal founding and field trust points, etc.

II. Harm Reduction under injection narcotic's entering:

1. Shaping the skills of harm reducing under intravenous narcotic's entering

2. Ensuring the needle exchange program.

3. Rendering a consulting support for drug dependence persons.

4. Rendering of medical & consultative assistance

The Program has organized the stable operation of 3 field points of trust, which work 5 days a week for 2 hours (Saturday & Sunday are days off). Syringe Exchange ratio is 1:1 (up to 5 syringes) and 3:1 (over 5 syringes). Used syringes are collected into the hermetically sealed containers and are transported to Poltava city Infectious Hospi-tal, where they are destroyed by fusion.

Total quantity of registered Program participant equals now 1379 persons. Total quantity of clients visits over the duration of the prophylactic Program - 60655.

The following additional first aid medical services are offered to the Program par-ticipants by the social workers right at the Field Points of Syringe Exchange:

· treatment of abscesses with antiseptic & healing medicine;

· dressing of injured skin;

· distribution of dressing material;

· distribution of medicines.

For the reported period such services were offered to 497 clients .

Program participants are also offered assistance in treatment of sexually transmitted diseases at Poltava STD Clinic, covered by the Program financial resources. There have been treated 71 syphilis cases.

I˛˛. Warning of HIV/STD transmission by the sexual way among IDUs and com-mercial sex workers.

Sexual way of communications between IDUs have high dangerous nature, be-cause as a rule they are refused to use condoms, more so in narcotic intoxication con-dition.

The former drug users & HIV infected are also involved in the work of the pro-phylactic Program.

During all time of prophylactic Program operation there have been exchanged 365 936 syringes, collected 391 290 used syringes, distributed 36 492 pcs. of condoms, pub-lished 102 issues of various information-educational materials (newspaper, leaflets, bulletins with stories of rolling models; colored booklets, calendars with the directory information ) & training methods (Test-inquiry for HIV service counseling workers; col-lection of lectures on the matters of HIV/STD prevention; collection of lectures for broadcasting in jails & prisons "Law book on civil, criminal, social & other aspects of HIV/AIDS"; educational book "Counseling worker's aid", issue #3; Educational mes-sages for the HIV services counseling workers on "burning" syndrome prevention "Basics of psychological protection. How to overcome psychological overload"; Educa-tional messages on conducting of surveys with the purpose of "risk groups" revealing among the young people, vulnerable to drug & alcohol use; Information book on HIV/AIDS Counseling) with total circulation of 300 000 copies. The published materials are distributed among the drug users at field points and at governmental & non-governmental organizations, where drug users are getting an aid, as well as at mass festivals & festivities, at schools & institutes. During the Program realization there were established stable confidential relations with representatives of target groups (IDUs, women of sex business), which is demonstrated by the continuous increase in the num-ber of Program participants. Partially has been changed the public opinion towards drug use related problems ( change of the accent from perception of a drug user as a crimi-nal for perception of him as a sick person) and AIDS (perception of a probability of get-ting a HIV infection as a personal real problem). No more conflicts with local neighbor-hood were registered.

Also to Program realization were attracted:

· Poltava regional venereal dispensary (STD clinic) - Vladimir I. Kamenev, main phy-sician, phone (3805322) 7-06-72;

· Poltava regional Health Center - Nina I. Durdykulieva, main physician,

phone (3805322) 7-27-56;

· Poltava regional sanitary epidemic station - Vladimir A. Korshenko, chief of AIDS preventive maintenance and struggle division, phone (3805322) 2-98-12;

· Town clinical infectious hospital - Lidiya L. Voitenko, main physician,

phone (3805322) 2-49-95;

· Regional Center of social service for youth - Larisa G. Bezdudnaya, chief of the so-cial programs realization and public initiative supports department, phone (3805322) 2-89-84; 2-25-24;

· Regional Department of the Ministry of Interiors - Alexander Ŕ. Yaryshkin, chief of division of struggle with the illegal narcotics turn, phone (380532) 18-77-25; 18-75-78.

· "April" Club" public body - Eugeny N. Anichin, chairman, phone (3805322) 2-62-15.

The Anti-AIDS Charity Foundation activity was many times covered by all-Ukrainian, re-gional & city mass media - press, regional radio broadcasts & TV. In particular, the materials were published in regional & all-Ukrainian specialized thematic information bulletins "Problems of drug addiction, HIV, STD in Ukraine"(Issues # 1,2,1999) & "Trust & Hope" (issue # 4, 1999), magazine "SNID, SPID, AIDS" (## 3,4,5,6,1999; # 1,2000).

For the whole period of Program operation there were not published any negative article to the address of the Program. At present the priority of the Program work is coopera-tion with republican specialized magazines ("AIDS" magazine, "Medicines of Ukraine", etc.) The members of the Program staff are always invited by both governmental & non-governmental organizations as consultants & lecturers for training & advisory assis-tance. Of great importance is the large quantity of training & information-educational literature developed by the Foundation. To our mind an important step forward is the expansion of the Program's modalities of work, carried out on volunteer basis, which facilitates the strengthening of the Foundation's interaction both with governmental & non-governmental organizations, improvement of preventive work in the city as a whole.

In addition to the above, Poltava Charity Anti AIDS Foundation carry out the fol-lowing Projects:

· Project "Creation of Ukrainian Harm Reduction Network" (http://harm.reduction.org.ua) is implemented since Sep.1999, financially supported by the Open Society Institute & International "Renaissance" Foundation. The pur-pose of this Project is the creation of a national Internet Service for publishing of press-ready materials in Russian & Ukrainian on HIV/AIDS infection treatment & prevention related problems.

· Since July 1999 Information-Counseling Service on HIV infection & AIDS "New Line" Project has been implemented under USAID/Center for Communication Pro-grams Johns Hopkins University financial support.

· January 2000 - workshop for Moldova HR Programs staff on "HIV/AIDS preventive interventions among injecting drug users, carried out with HR strategy framework", financially supported by the Open Society Institute & International "Renaissance" Foundation.

· May 2000 - workshop for Belarus HR Projects staff on "HIV/STDS preventive inter-ventions among injecting drug users, carried out with HR strategy framework", finan-cially supported by the Open Society Institute & International "Renaissance" Foun-dation.

· Since April 2000 "Ukraine HR Projects Support" Program is being implemented, fi-nancially supported by the Open Society Institute & International "Renaissance" Foundation.