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Ukraine
HIV/AIDS in Ukraine
SMARTWork/Ukraine
Success Stories
Resources
Photographs
HIV/AIDS in Ukraine
HIV/AIDS is rapidly increasing in Ukraine: among Commonwealth Independent States and other European countries, its HIV transmission rate is second only to Russia's. Significant facts include:
- Since 1987, over 44,500 individuals have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Ukraine. Experts estimate that 500,000 people—approximately one percent of Ukrainian adult population—are living with HIV/AIDS.
- In the last five years, HIV-infection has increased by 20%. Most of the infected people are between 20 and 39 years of age; about half are under the age of 25.
- Left unchecked, AIDS could become the second highest cause of death among adults by 2007; over 1.4 million people could be infected by 2010 in Ukraine.
- High rates of unemployment have forced some into dangerous and illegal activities in the shadow economy, especially survival sex. Women and youth are particularly likely to trade sex for money, food, and shelter, increasing their risk for getting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
The Ukrainian public remains largely uninformed about HIV/AIDS, and stigma continues to affect those living with the disease. Most of those living with HIV/AIDS are young, and the Ukrainian economy is expected to lose productive and skilled labor as the epidemic expands. The associated costs—including medical care, worker retraining, and recruitment—will negatively impact many businesses.
Ukraine has a comprehensive and notable national 1991 law, On AIDS Prevention and the Social Protection of the Population, that guarantees access to prevention and medical services, and protects the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS. The law lays a valuable groundwork for preventing new transmissions, treating persons infected with the disease, and protecting those concerned about their serostatus. However, both employers and workers are often unaware of the law, and few employers have implemented programs or policies around HIV/AIDS.
More recently, the National Commission on HIV/AIDS of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine drafted the Ukrainian National Program on HIV/AIDS Prevention for 2004 -2008, which contains a clause addressing HIV/AIDS prevention in the workplace. Also, in 2002, Ukraine implemented a "General Agreement" among more than ten organizations, including the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Employer Confederation, and the Trade Union Federation of Ukraine. This agreement includes funding for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs, and offers a system for agencies to develop educational partnerships and protect the rights of workers.
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SMARTWork/Ukraine
The program, implemented by the Academy for Educational Development with funding provided by the United States Department of Labor, was established in Kyiv, Ukraine, in July 2002. SMARTWork/Ukraine has already:
- Established a Tripartite Advisory Board (TAB) to create workplace strategies, provide legislative technical assistance to the government, and advise on SMARTWork programs in Ukraine. The TAB includes representatives from businesses, labor unions, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of Ukraine, and the State Committee of Ukraine for Family and Youth.
- Mobilized tripartite efforts and worked with the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of Ukraine to draft the National Program on AIDS.
- Provided training, technical assistance, and workshops for multiple businesses, unions, and nongovernmental organizations on establishing effective workplace HIV/AIDS prevention programs and policies. Several companies are now drafting HIV/AIDS policies and implementing workplace programs for the first time.
- Conducted a training of trainers on workplace HIV/AIDS prevention attended by 22 key workplace representatives from enterprises and organizations in Odessa, Kyiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
- Completed a country profile and needs assessment that pinpoint areas where issues around HIV/AIDS can be affected.
In the future, SMARTWork/Ukraine will:
- Collaborate with the United Nations Development Programme initiative "We Care" to provide technical assistance and workshops for United Nations' staff in Ukraine, and to develop information, education, and communication materials.
- Participate in the "Race for Life", a Kyiv HIV awareness event that generates a large crowd and significant media coverage.
- Assist the Youth Labor Centers of State Committee of Ukraine for Family and Youth, and present skills sessions at the Youth Regional Forum in Kyiv.
- Continue providing training workshops, technical assistance, and information to employers, labor unions, and other interested entities.
- Evaluate available HIV/AIDS materials and ensure that high-quality materials are available at workplaces and other locations.
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Success Stories
- Building Relationships to Raise Awareness in Ukraine
- Healthy Employee - Healthy Economy! Award
The "Healthy Employee - Healthy Economy!" Award Ceremony took place in Kiev, Ukraine on December 20th, 2004, in the White Hall of the Hotel Bratislava. The contest was initiated by the SMARTWork Project, the Academy for Educational Development, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of Ukraine. Follow the link to pictures of the event and the press release in Ukrainian and English.
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Resources
For more information on HIV/AIDS in Ukraine, click here to access the UNAIDS 2004 Ukraine Epidemiological Fact Sheet.
The SMARTWork/Ukraine 2004 Annual Report, Issue 2, covers the program's successes and challenges over the past three years. Document in English. Document in Ukrainian.
A PRACTICAL GUIDE: HIV/AIDS Problems for State Labor Inspectors
This practical guide is one of the first manuals designed to facilitate the introduction of workplace programs in the labor field. It contains recommendations and instructions for the implementation of HIV/AIDS prevention programs in enterprises. It also includes international and national documents and legislative acts which regulate the protection of labor and HIV/AIDS issues. The guide is designed for labor inspectors, trade union leaders, employers, and wide range of professionals in the labor field and is based upon "A Workplace Guide for Managers and Labor Leaders: HIV/AIDS Policies and Programs." The document is in Ukrainian.
For more information on SMARTWork/Ukraine, contact:
Ms. Natalya Lukyanova, Country Coordinator
SMARTWork/Ukraine
42 Bohdana Khmelnitskogo Street
3rd Level
Kyiv 01030
Ukraine
Tel: 380-44-230-2227
Fax: 380-44-230-0206
nlukyano@aed.org
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