USAID's support for social sector restructuring in Ukraine is designed to protect the most vulnerable members of society: the elderly, children, the disabled, the homeless, and alcohol and drug abusers. Activities range from building viable frameworks for pension and employment insurance and consolidating revenue collection for more sustainable social services to assisting the management capacity of local organizations to deliver social assistance. USAID has designed several programs to improve the availability of social services through work with local administrations and a growing network of indigenous NGOs.

Avian Flu 

• Over 1 million AI information flyers and posters distributed to raise awareness.
• Oblast-level radio and television public service announcements (PSAs) and radio and television informational programs have reached more than 10 million people.
• 7,000 national and regional journalists trained on AI, resulting in the publication of over 3,000 articles in national and regional newspapers.
• Over 77,500 national and regional health, veterinary, government and civil society leaders trained in AI prevention and response.
• Over $180,000 in laboratory reagents, testing equipment and personal protective equipment procured and delivered.

HIV/AIDS

• 2006 Establishment of a National Council on TB and HIV/AIDS, which serves as one national coordination body, demonstrated Ukraine’s commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS and willingness to involve civil society in the decision making processes.

• Successful advocacy efforts have reinforced Ukraine’s commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS. A presidential decree “On Additional Measures to Counteract HIV/AIDS in Ukraine” was issued on December 12, 2007. The decree emphasizes the need to allocate sufficient state funding for HIV/AID prevention and treatment and make legislative changes to improve drug registration and procurement systems, and to ensure that drug quality is in line with WHO quality standards.

• Training of mother and child health care service providers in eight priority oblasts has improved the quality of voluntary counseling and testing, and strengthened community-based support for HIV-positive pregnant women and mothers.

• Grants to HIV-service NGOs have increased coverage of HIV prevention and information services to the most at risk populations from 12 to 45.5 percent in regions with the highest HIV prevalence rates.

• Support to more than 80 health facilities and the training of more than 1,000 doctors and midwives in prevention of mother to child transmission has provided more than 45,000 pregnant women with access to quality HIV counseling, testing and treatment services.

• National protocols on voluntary counseling and testing, and antiretroviral treatment for HIV pregnant women have been developed and adopted by the Ministry of Health.

• 55 HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) centers supported through USAID have provided over 15,000 people with voluntary counseling and testing services.

• Over 400 public and nongovernmental representatives have been trained on strategic planning in HIV/AIDS programs.

• Radio and television public service announcements run in regional and national media, and journalist training on the medical, social, economic and political aspects of HIV/AIDS has raised awareness of HIV/AIDS issues.

Maternal and Infant Health Care

In project sites:

• Hypothermia in newborns decreased from 80% to nearly 1%.
• Neonatal mortality decreased by nearly 67% between 2002 and 2007.
• Normal deliveries have increased from 26% to nearly 75%.
• Cesarean sections have decreased from 42% to 26%.
• Increased partner attendance at delivery has reduced use of pain medication.

Nationally:

• Over 1,600 healthcare professionals have been trained in effective mother and infant care and infection control.
• More than 40 protocols on reproductive and maternal and infant health have been revised and disseminated through the Ministry of Health.

Orphans & Vulnerable Children

• 9,609 decision makers, service providers, parents and children participated in various trainings events; 26 community groups were established;
• 1,573 children and 904 families received psychosocial support services through the FCP grant program;
• Practical guidelines on foster care were developed by the FCP Child Welfare Task Force, reviewed and approved by the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports;
• In collaboration with the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports, FCP trained 95 regional trainers on foster care who now train prospective foster parents;
• 447 cases of child abandonment were prevented;
• 13 HIV+ children were placed in foster care (first time ever in Ukraine).

Reproductive Health/Family Planning

• Adoption of new clinical protocols on FP/RH has reduced medical barriers to FP/RH care.
• Increased numbers of FP/RH service access points in target sites.
• Over 1,600 health workers and 1,000 pharmacy staff trained on modern contraception and counseling for informed choice.
• More than 50,000 people reached through educational and communications events designed to change FP/RH behaviors.
• Small grants awarded to 10 NGOs for FP/RH advocacy work.  

Tuberculosis

• TB DOTS programs are being rolled out in eight oblasts in southern, eastern and central Ukraine. These regions include 40% of TB cases and the highest burdens of HIV infection in the country.
• More than 4,300 doctors have been trained in internationally recognized best practices for TB prevention and control.

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