Residential Support for HIV-Positive and Street-Involved Girls

in UkraineLiving, Loving, Working: HIV and Sex Work

July 21, 2014, Melbourne, Australia20th International AIDS Conference

Halyna SkipalskaUkraine Country Director, HealthRight International

Executive Director, Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health

HealthRight International is a global health and human rights organization working to build lasting access to health for excluded communities.

The Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health (UFPH) is a Ukrainian charitable organization, founded by HealthRight International in 2008, with the aim of building local sustainability.

Overview

30 to 100 thousand youth live on the streets in Ukraine

Donetsk, 2010

Street Youth and HIV18.4% HIV prevalence among street youth (HealthRight/CDC 2009)

Volyn Rivn

e Zhytomyr

Kyiv

Chernigiv

Sumy

PoltavaKharkiv

Donetsk

Zaporizhia

Kherson

AR Crimea

Kirovograd

MykolaivOdessa

Vinnytsia

LvivTernopil Khmel

-nytski

y

Iv.-Frank.Zakarpatska

Chernivtsi

Cherkasy

Dnipropetrovsk

Luhansk

Donetsk:9.8% (N=307)

Kyiv: 18.6% (N=311)

Odesa:26.7% (N=311)

HIV prevalence rate in three cities 18.4%

Street-Involved Girls

Street girls and young women are a small (25%), but highly vulnerable sub-group of the larger street youth population

In 2010, to respond to the extreme vulnerability of street-involved girls, and the high prevalence of HIV among them, HealthRight and UFPH launched a service model for street-involved women and girls in Kyiv.

Continuum of Care for Street-involved and HIV-positive Women and Girls

Continuum of Care for Street-involved and HIV-positive Women and Girls

Outreach

Drop-in services Halfway House

Independence or family

Case Management

Referral

Street Outreach Mapping of sites Psychosocial counseling Client referral Voluntary HIV

counseling and testing STI, Hepatitis testing.

In 4 years:

598 girls and women received services in outreach

313 were tested for HIV

11 HIV-positive.

Drop-in Center for Women and Girls

Shower, laundry, food Legal, social, psychological Material support HIV, STIs and pregnancy testing Referrals (advanced medical

care) STEPS HIV prevention and

education trainings Case management Psychological intervention for

survivors of VAW and partner perpetrators

Services for children Basic services for client’s

partners.

Drop-in Center for Women and Girls

June 2010 – May 2014: 1 160 girls served 247 (21.3%) HIV-positive 98 pregnant (including 14 HIV-

positive) 655 tested for STI, 30 with

positive result 329 tested for Hepatitis, 13

with positive result 147 tested for pregnancy, 7

with positive results 744 children received services,

including 152 HIV-positive 107 clients partners received

services.

In 2013, HealthRight added a halfway house to the continuum of care for especially vulnerable women and girls.

Residence Based Support at the Halfway House

Residence Based Support in the Halfway House

Since May 2013, 17 women and 19 of their children have been engaged in residential care. 2 HIV-positive 5 had lived in an orphanage 10 had lived on the street 12 had abused substances All had survived abuse.

All clients have kept parental rights for their children. Five clients with their children were supported to transition to independent living. Four returned to partners and family members, 3 were referred to rehabilitation centers and 5 continue to receive services.

Residence Based Support at the Halfway House

HealthRight and UFPH intend to develop a career and financial literacy program to help clients improve their prospects for independence.

Conclusions/Next Steps

A residential program is a critical part of the continuum of care, allowing a secure transition to independence and prevention of child abandonment.

Thanks to our donors!

Thank you!HealthRight International

Representative Office in Ukraine3, Stanislavskoho St., Office 7, Kyiv, 01001

Tel.:/Fax: + 38 (044) 278 2358Halyna.Skipalska@healthright.org

www.healthright.orgwww.healthright.org.ua