On 24-25 th of May was held a scientific conference for specialists of sanitary-epidemiological service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The conference was organized by the international NGO "International HIV / AIDS and tuberculosis".

At the event was discussed offers about improvement of health and prevention of HIV/AIDS in the Armed Forces of Ukraine which are involved in the ATO.

The leadership of the Central Sanitary and Epidemiological Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine expressed gratitude to the director of the International NGO "International HIV / AIDS and tuberculosis" Eliot Jacobs Pearlman and noted his role in improving system of consultancy and testing soldiers and military officer of Armed Forces of Ukraine for HIV/AIDS.

Thanks to Eliot Jacobs Pearlman and project "DHAPP PEPFAR" 60 thousand units of tests for HIV / AIDS was passed for the needs of the medical service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Also during the conference, the director of the International NGO noted that thanks to cooperation with Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for the first time since independence of Ukraine MODU became part of the National Council on TB and HIV/AIDS and received a positive solution from the Global Fund about financial support for fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

 During the official meeting with the leadership of the Central Sanitary and Epidemiological Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Director of the International Public Organization "International Institute of Problems of HIV/AIDS and TB" Colonel US Army Medical Service Eliot Jacobz Perlman summed up the cooperation for the first half of 2017.

During the period from February to July, were conducted 5 educational and methodical trainings for specialists of the medical service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard of Ukraine. During this time, 125 specialists have received the theoretical and practical skills necessary for counseling and testing on HIV/AIDS of the personnel of the military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard of Ukraine.

With the support of the DHAPP PEPFAR project, Ukraine was allocated money for the fight against HIV/AIDS, and 60,000 immunohromatic tests were purchased and sent to the Ministry of Defense's health facilities.

"We want a positive changes in the quality of life of HIV-positive people and contribute in every way to the realization of the rights and responsibilities of people living with HIV, including the right to self-determination and the right to participate in decision-making that affects their lives," Colonel of the Medical Service US Army Eliot Jacobz Perlman.

Save our lives and our future!

On the 30th of August 30 was held the final conference on the results of the project for providing technical assistance to servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The project was implemented through the US Emergency Plan for the Fighting HIV/AIDS Program, which lasted three years and funded by the US Government under the DHAPP/PEPFAR program.

The main objective of the project was to improve the situation with counteraction to the HIV and other infectious diseases among the military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The event was attended by representatives of the International Public Organization "International Institute for HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis", the Military Medical Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Central Sanitary and Epidemiological Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Regional Sanitary and Epidemiological Departments of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Ukrainian Military Medical Academy, Blood Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, National Military Medical Clinical Center, the Military Medical Department of the National Guard of Ukraine, the AIDS Foundation "East-West Foundation", the Ministry of Health, the National Medical University of Ukraine, leading experts in the Department of Defense Cooperation of the US Embassy in Ukraine, and Senior Defense Advisor Medical Systems Management Jim Cahill.

In conclusion, Colonel of Medical Service of the US Army, chief of the International HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis Institute, Eliot Jacobz Perlman thanked for cooperation and stressed that he would continue to actively participate in shaping a conscious attitude towards the preservation and strengthening of the health of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, forcing them to fulfill their personal skills and public hygiene, because it is a guarantee of an important and integral part of their preparation for military duty.

This was slogan of the final stage of the professional training named "Improving the system of voluntary pre- and post-test counseling and testing on HIV/AIDS in Ukrainian power department".

The event was held from 11 to 12 of the July, 2017 with the participation of 25 representatives of the sanitary-epidemiological and medical service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the National Guard of Ukraine in the Hotel Complex "Dzherelo" in Kyiv region.

It was 5th training sessions for the first half of 2017/ Thi trainig is become possible due to International Public Organization "International Institute of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis" within the implementation of the DHAPP PEPFAR project.

The aim of the training was to improve the quality and effectiveness of testing and counseling in the Ukrainian power department and to improve the knowledge about implementation of program interventions using HIV testing and counseling.

During the exercises, the topics were covered: implementation of different models of testing and counseling in the ATO; Types of testing; Programmatic interventions with testing and counseling component; HIV testing procedures and so on.

The participants of the training analyzed the legislative framework of Ukraine as part of the system of voluntary pre- and post-test counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS. Thanked to organizers participans got an opportunity to work out the methods of diagnosis of HIV/AIDS using rapid tests. Also discussed and worked out the psychological aspect of pre- and post-test counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS.