On the eve of World AIDS Day, the Health Department of the Odessa City Council held a briefing with the participation of public organizations.
An event was also organized at the Administrative Services Center where all interested employees and visitors could undergo free confidential testing for HIV and viral hepatitis.
In Odessa, local authorities, healthcare institutions, and NGOs are effectively uniting efforts to combat the spread of HIV and other socially significant diseases.
In 2017, Odessa's mayor, Gennady Trukhanov, signed the Paris Declaration, making Odessa part of the global Fast Track Cities initiative aimed at overcoming the HIV epidemic in major cities worldwide.
Since then, significant results have been achieved in combating HIV through the implementation of city-targeted programs. Specifically, in Odessa, 98% of people living with HIV are aware of their status. Before the signing of the Paris Declaration, this figure was only 50%. The high levels of awareness have been ensured by extensive HIV testing across all medical facilities in Odessa.
Among those who know their HIV-positive status, 96% of patients are under medical supervision and receiving antiretroviral therapy (before the declaration was signed, this figure was 60%).
Multidisciplinary teams comprising healthcare professionals and social workers operate in all medical facilities to help individuals diagnosed with HIV access treatment and psychosocial support as quickly as possible.
At the City Center for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment, patients receive modern antiretroviral therapy free of charge. The effectiveness of treatment is evidenced by the fact that over 96% of these patients have an undetectable viral load in their blood (before the declaration, this figure was 86%).
Early diagnosis of HIV and adherence to the prescribed antiretroviral therapy regimen allow individuals living with HIV to lead full and healthy lives and have healthy children.
Additionally, programs have been introduced in Odessa to support HIV-positive pregnant women and their newborns, providing free lactation suppression medications and milk formulas for safe artificial feeding of infants.
Moreover, Odessa has programs for substitution therapy, harm reduction for drug users, and psychosocial rehabilitation for those who wish to quit using psychoactive substances.
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From November 25 to 29, free anonymous HIV testing events are taking place in Odessa's healthcare facilities for all interested individuals.
Addresses and schedule of the event.
