PROGRAMME UPDATE OVERCOMING HIV/AIDS EPIDEMICS IN UKRAINE National programme supported by GFATM Presentation by Mikhail Minakov at the 3 d Stakeholders’ Meeting on the GFATM Grant to Ukraine, Kyiv, September 2, 2004

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE oblast group component KyivCherkasyDnipropetrovskDonetskMykolayivOdesaCrimeaKherson Treatment, Care and Support Focused Prevention Information, Education and Advocacy Monitoring and Evaluation

OBLAST GROUPS’ FUNCTIONS Geographic focus for stronger impact Synergetic comprehensive responses at oblast level Involvement of new partners Definition of work-plans within each priority oblast Reporting on programme activities per oblast (in quarter 2, quarter 3 and quarter 4) Monitoring of programme activities in each oblast Coordination of supported projects in each oblast Capacity building of partner NGOs in oblasts Cooperation with Regional Coordination Committees, HIV/AIDS Centres, other projects and other donors

OBLAST GROUPS’ MEMBERSHIP Working now: Employees from the four programme components Field Support Officers To be appointed in September: Regional Resource Centres representatives Regional Alliance Ukraine representatives (will be appointed with support from USAID)

PROGRAMME COMPONENTS Prevention in Vulnerable Communities Creating an Enabling Environment through Information, Education, and Advocacy Monitoring and Evaluation Treatment, Care and Support

RESULTS OF PREVENTION IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES

RESULTS OF CALLS FOR PROPOSALS Focused prevention - IDUs, CSWs, MSM –24 projects supported in priority oblasts and 14 projects in other regions of Ukraine –One more project to be supported in September –Total sum of grants is about $ 1,000,000 –Number of people receiving services – 26,932 Focused prevention – prisoners –1 project supported in Mykolayiv oblast providing services to 1,500 prisoners –1 project supported to provide services to prisoners in Cherkasy –1 project (covering 5 oblasts) about to be approved –Spending on these grants by the end of the year will total up to $80,000 –5,000 prisoners are expected to have access to services

ALLIANCE INTERVENTIONS IN THE AREA OF PREVENTION Trainings for Programme partners in –Project management –Financial management –Monitoring and evaluation –Situation assessment –Advocacy for representatives of vulnerable groups –Procurement of prevention-related commodities and medicines Technical assistance visits to grantees Networking of supported organisations

RESULTS IN CREATING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT THROUGH INFORMATION, EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY

NATIONAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGY Results of the working group activities have been presented during the UN HIV/AIDS technical group meeting 37 research reports have been collected and summarised Research matrix and abstracts prepared Advocating for the strategy is in progress The working group will have meetings in September to analyse the collected materials and prepare report for all stakeholders

HIV PREVENTION THROUGH THE EDUCATION SYSTEM (1) Coordination of the Programme and Ministry of Education and Science (MoES), as well as other key international and local institutions has been established –Programme related information distributed within the MoES system –Joint working plan of the Programme component approved by MoES –Education stakeholders meeting conducted on June 30, 2004 –Working group including specialists of MoES, representatives of donors and NGOs gathers regularly Nine education calls for proposals were prepared jointly by MoES and the Alliance and announced; all decisions on winners of the CFPs to be made in September 2004

HIV PREVENTION THROUGH THE EDUCATION SYSTEM (2) To continue successful initiatives in 2003 the Alliance has provided a grant to the Ukrainian Scientific and Methodological Centre of Applied Psychology and Social Work. The project envisages: –Promotion of a curriculum content review and programmes for secondary schools, technical colleges and high schools to effectively cover HIV/AIDS prevention education –Involvement of teachers in activities aimed to build up and develop in children and young people safe behavioural skills, healthy life-style, and a tolerant attitude to PLHA Seven successful candidates will be chosen to run Regional Resource Centres on September 10, 2004

ADVOCACY COMPETITIONS 2 calls for proposals have been completed: –Advocacy for the rights and interests of representatives of groups vulnerable to HIV/AIDS –Advocacy for the rights of PLHA 7 grants issued to regional NGOs to advocate for the rights and interests of representatives of groups vulnerable to HIV/AIDS The Vinnitsa Human Rights group selected to implement project on protection of rights and interests of PLHA ALLIANCE ACTIVITIES 1 policy briefing issued 2 policy and advocacy up-date issued 2 trainings implemented: –Gathering alternative information on HIV/AIDS (jointly with the Network of PLHA) –Advocacy in HIV/AIDS and project design 700 PLHA in 15 regions of Ukraine have been interviewed within the framework of the alternative information collection project (implemented by the Network of PLHA)

INFORMATION, EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION WORK WITH VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES Working group has assessed more then 200 materials according to developed criteria and continues collecting materials Old Information Technologies Co has been selected to develop the database software of IEC materials One call for proposals for periodical publications has been announced; the decision on 5 winners is to be made in September more calls for proposals are to be announced in September 2004

WORKING WITH MASS MEDIA 7 calls for proposals and tenders are completed Winning organisations include: –International youth festival ‘Chaika’ to implement a gala- concert on September 19, 2004 –AIDS Foundation East – West to implement a National Mass Media campaign on solidarity and tolerant attitude to people living with HIV/AIDS –Eastern European Institute of Development to develop and produce an analytical bulletin for mass-media –Charitable Foundation ‘Intellectual Perspective’ to hold national competition on HIV/AIDS issues among printed and electronic mass media, journalists and non- professionals

MONITORING & EVALUATION

NATIONAL INDICATORS In the framework of the National Programme the Alliance is supporting data collection on national indicators of the country response to the epidemic: -through support of the National AIDS centre -through conducting special surveys collecting information for 6 indicators from the list of 15 core indicators and for 11 indicators from the list of 15 additional indicators

NATIONAL M&E SYSTEM IMPROVING NATIONAL CAPACITY TO MONITOR AND EVALUATE THE RESPONSE TO THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC Strategic results Support for the Ukrainian AIDS Centre: –2 trainings for regional AIDS Centres on improving routine surveillance –procurement of test-kits for sentinel surveillance begun –tender on equipment procurement for computerising the HIV case registration system announced Software and registration forms for the HIV case registration system have been approved by the Ministry of Health Unified methodologies on collecting information on national indicators are being developed (under the coordination of UNAIDS ): –Method guidance for behavioural monitoring of youth as a component of second generation surveillance –Method guidance for survey of tolerant attitudes to PLHA –Method guidance for survey of HIV/AIDS workplace policies and programmes

NATIONAL M&E SYSTEM CONDUCTING RESEARCH AND SURVEYS REQUIRED FOR COLLECTING INFORMATION ON NATIONAL INDICATORS Short term results 2 surveys are being conducted among IDUs, CSW and MSM 2 more surveys have been announced: –“Behaviour monitoring of youth as a component of second generation surveillance” –“Survey on HIV/AIDS workplace policies and programmes” 2 more surveys among people in uniform and among prison inmates will be announced

BEHAVIOUR SURVEY OF INJECTING DRUG USERS (IDU) AND COMMERCIAL SEX WORKERS (CSW) AS A COMPONENT OF SECOND GENERATION SENTINEL SURVEILLANCE The State Institute for Family and Youth Problems has been chosen to implement the survey. This agency is responsible for conducting behavioural monitoring as a component of second generation surveillance given the approval of the national M&E system. The budget for 14 oblasts needed for data extrapolation for national level and development of prevention programmes in new oblasts is $89,074. Piloting of survey tools is now finished. The field stage of survey is in progress.

BEHAVIOUR MONITORING OF MEN HAVING SEX WITH MEN AS A PART OF SECOND GENERATION SURVEILLANCE In 2004 the group of social research experts developed a method guidance for behavioural monitoring of MSM and recommended research tools. Recognising that men who have sex with men constitute an under- researched community in Ukraine, the Alliance and the UK Government department for international development (DFID) have agreed that technical assistance should be provided to the agency that wins this contract. This will be funded through DFID's Technical Assistance Programme to Ukraine. Robert Oostvogels will be the consultant from DFID and Paul Boyce will provide TA from the Alliance. The proposal of the Centre of Social Expertise of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was supported by the tender review committee on some conditions. A contract is currently being finalised.

M&E SYSTEM AND PLAN The Alliance has developed a standardised reporting system. The system is used by its sub-grantees, intermediary organisations and the Alliance itself and is based on: 1)Programme objectives and expected results, and 2)the following coverage indicator categories: Number of people reached Number of service points supported Number of people trained The M&E system and plan specially designed by the Alliance for the National Programme has been acknowledged by the Global Fund as a model for similar programmes around the world.

TREATMENT, CARE AND SUPPORT, AND TREATMENT- RELATED PROCUREMENT in-depth report