Global Fund

On 15 March 2004, the Alliance was appointed temporary principal recipient to administer the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria supported HIV/AIDS programme ‘Overcoming HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ukraine’. The programme’s aim is to substantially reinforce the national response, reduce HIV incidence and morbidity rates, and reduce the AIDS mortality rate. A Global Fund Observer performance assessment has rated the programme in Ukraine managed by the Alliance among the most successful globally – in the top 10% of programmes supported by the Global Fund.

The first phase of the Global Fund supported programme was completed by the end of September 2005, and from October 2005 Ukraine received continued Global Fund funding for the next three years to the amount of over $67 million. The design of the second phase of Global Fund supported activities in Ukraine was led by representatives of the Ukrainian government and was designed in close collaboration with key stakeholders.

The programme includes four key components:

1. Improving the quality and availability of treatment, care and support for people living with HIV, including:

  • procurement and supply of antiretroviral drugs and other medicines and medical equipment;
  • training medical and other staff in treatment, care and support services;
  • developing of programmes aimed at supporting adherence to antiretroviral treatment;
  • supporting the self-help movement of people living with HIV;
  • supporting home-based care programmes.

2. Developing and scaling up prevention:

  • increasing of prevention services aimed at communities vulnerable to HIV, including injecting drug users, sex workers, men who have sex with men, and prison populations;
  • procurement and supply of prevention commodities (such as condoms, lubricants, syringes and disinfectants).

3. Supporting an enabling environment:

  • supporting advocacy and policy dialogues with relevant sectors;
  • promoting coordination between different sectors at the national and local levels;
  • supporting mass media and national campaigns;
  • providing of information and education on HIV and AIDS;
  • supporting the development of HIV education in the national education system.

4. Improving of the national system of monitoring and evaluation:

  • supporting of the national epidemiological surveillance system;
  • supporting of social research required to improve understanding of epidemiological trends and contribute to the development of appropriate responses;
  • on-going qualitative monitoring and evaluation of programme performance.

In July 2006 the National Coordinating Council applied for a Round 6 Global Fund Grant, with Alliance Ukraine nominated as one of the principal recipients to implement the grant programme (the other principal recipient is the All-Ukrainian Network of PLWH). The Global Fund has approved the proposal with several issues of clarification and conditions to be met. The Alliance played an active role in the process of Round 6 proposal development.

The overall goal of the new programme is to reduce HIV transmission and HIV-related morbidity and mortality in Ukraine through interventions focused on populations most at risk. Building on current achievements in the national response the programme aims to increase access to prevention, treatment, care and support for those most at risk from HIV and those most affected by the epidemic, including injecting drug users, men who have sex with men, street and drug-injecting female sex workers, prisoners, street children aged 10-18 years, and people living with HIV.