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.

Healthcare

HIV/AIDS

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

• 55 HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) centers were supported through USAID projects with government support, where 15,000 people have been counseled and tested under a new national protocol that meets international standards.

• Grants to HIV-service NGOs have doubled coverage of HIV prevention and information services to the most at risk populations from 12 to 25 percent in the regions with the highest HIV incidence rates.

• Support to more than 80 health facilities and training of more than 400 doctors and midwives in prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) provided 45,000 pregnant women with an access to quality HIV counseling and testing, as well as to PMTCT services when needed.

• National Protocol on antiretroviral treatment for HIV pregnant women and women in labor has been developed and adopted by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

Tuberculosis

• Pilot DOTS program introduced in Donetsk oblast to lay foundation for nationwide acceptance and implementation.

• Public awareness campaigns have enhanced responsible anti-TB behavior within the Donetsk population and resulted in a two-fold increase of TB-infected persons reporting to medical facilities and a case detection rate of 50%.

• By 2005, treatment success rates were reported at 70% in Donetsk. (Up from about 50%, but short of the global target of 85%, due to MDR-TB and HIV/TB co-infection).

• More than 4,300 doctors have been trained in internationally recognized best practices for TB prevention and control.

Maternal and Infant Health Care

• Pilot Sites: 1) Hypothermia in newborns has almost been eliminated; 2) Infant mortality has decreased by approximately 30%; 3) Normal deliveries have increased from 26% to 65%; 4) Cesarean sections decreased from 42% to 26%; 5) 64% of deliveries are attended by a partner or other family members, and as a result, the use of pain medication is minimal.

• Country-wide: 1) Nearly 900 healthcare staff have been trained on effective antenatal and pediatric care and infection control; 2) 40 protocols on reproductive and maternal and infant health have been developed by the Ministry of Health and are being published for further dissemination.

Orphans & Vulnerable Children  

• Nine community groups were established.

• 596 children and 474 families received psychosocial support services through FCP grant program.

• Practical guidelines on foster care were developed by the FCP Child Welfare Task Force, reviewed by the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports and recommended for piloting in the FCP project sites.  

• In collaboration with the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports, FCP trained 92 regional trainers on foster care who by now trained 220 prospective foster parents.

• 185 children born to HIV+ mothers stayed in their biological families, and 49 cases of social abandonment were prevented.

Avian Flu 

• Procured and delivered of $180,000 in laboratory reagents and testing equipment along with personal protective gear.

• Printed and distributed over 60,000 copies of five different AI information flyers and 12,000 copies posters.

• Aired three different radio public service announcements (PSA) and three television PSA reaching at least 10,000,000 people, as well as numerous longer radio and television information programs.

• Supported 250 AI related meetings at national, oblast and rayon levels.

• Trained 2,500 national and regional journalists, resulting in the publication of nearly 100 different articles in many national and regional newspapers.

• Trained over 600 national and regional health, veterinary, government and civil society leaders about AI prevention.

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