HIVAIDS Expert Group Progress report and future plans

1
HIV/AIDS Expert GroupProgress report and future
plans
Pauli Leinikki and Outi Karvonen CSR 15-16.10.2009
16/10/09
1
2
Long-term objective for HIV EG

• Facilitate regional collaboration of health
  authorities and civil societies focusing in
  issues dealing with HIV/AIDS that have special
  relevance to the people in the region.

16/10/09
2
3
Remarks related to Long Term Objectives

• The epidemic has followed different patterns of
  evolution in different countries an opportunity
  to learn from each other
• The epidemic is unusually prevalent among
  most-at-risk-populations that are socially
  marginalised and often hard to reach for support,
  care or intervention

16/10/09
3
4
Mid-term plans
Development and implementation of Barents region
collaboration with spin-offs in other regions.
Several projects established and
implemented Cross-border activities between
Estonia and Leningrad Oblast established as a
project Projects dealing with the prevention of
TB/HIV dual infections in high-risk populations
have been initiated The expert network is
supported by regular meetings and planning and
implementation of new relevant projects through
it.
16/10/09
4
5
Long term Priorities

• Regional collaboration, (learning from each
  other)
• Prevention of HIV among drug users
• Prevention of HIV/TB dual infections
• Enhancing cross- border activities
• Prevention of HIV among men who have sex with men
• Close collaboration with social welfare
• Promoting harm reduction among IDUs
• Prevention of mother-to-child transmissions

16/10/09
5
6
Examples of activities 1 Prevention of HIV among
drug users

• Development of working principles and practice in
  Low Threshold Service Health Centres (LTSC) for
  injecting drug users (IDU)in Finland in 1990s
• Impact Few cases of HIV linked with drug use
  today (in 2008 7 cases, in 2009 2)
• Based on this model LTSCs established in Latvia,
  Estonia, Murmansk, Kandalaksha, and negotiations
  going on elsewhere (Leningrad region)
• ENCAP project strengthening collaboration between
  the Baltic states

16/10/09
HIV/AIDS Expert Group of NDPHS
6
7
Examples of activities 2 Prevention of HIV/TB
co-infections and MDR TB

• Work among People Living With HIV and AIDS
• Low threshold service centres important role in
  reaching the right population
• Collaboration between LTSCs, AIDS centres and
  Tuberculosis services established in practical
  and administrative level
• TB/HIV collaboration in Murmansk is a good
  example, new activities as a project proposal
• Project proposal with the Leningrad Region
  (collaboration with Finland and Estonia)

16/10/09
HIV/AIDS Expert Group of NDPHS
7
8
Examples of activities 3 Integration of social
and health care

• HIV work is closely linked with social care in
  prevention, treatment and care
• Project examples with special emphasis on social
  support
• Psychological and social support to HIV-infected
  women in Leningrad Oblast, 2007-2009
• Further development of low threshold services in
  Murmansk and Kantalahti 2008-2010

9
Examples of activities 4 Other priority areas

• Prevention of HIV among MSM
• European MSM Internet survey on knowledge,
  attitudes and behaviour as to HIV and STI
  (project supported by EU)
• Policy harmonisation in HIV prevention and care
  (Project supported by France)
• Policy issues Enhancing voluntary testing and
  counceling and link to secondary surveillance
  according to WHO criteria. Harmonisation of Post
  exposure prevention guidelines
• Collaboration with prison authorities and Prison
  Health Expert Group of NDPHS

16/10/09
HIV/AIDS Expert Group of NDPHS
9
10
Activities after CSR in Gdansk, 2009

• European AIDS Conference in Vilnius, April 28-30
• Contributions to NDPHS E-newsletter
• Study tour from Archangelsk and Leningrad Region
  to Finland (May 13-15)
• Project planning seminar by Logical Framework
  Approach in Narva, Estonia (June 3-5)
• Logical Framework workshop in Murmansk (June 1-5)
• Project planning seminar on HIV/TB using LFA
  approach, Murmansk June 1-5
• TBHIV meeting with experts from Murmansk in
  Helsinki, August 7

16/10/09
10
11
Activities after CSR in Gdansk 2

• Barents HIV/AIDS Programme Steering Committee
  meeting, St. Petersburg, Sept 22
• Contribution to the 8th Nordic Baltic Congress on
  Infectious Diseases, St. Petersburg, Sept 23-26
• Expert Group meeting in Sopot, Poland, 1-2
  October themes
• Social aspects of HIV and AIDS work
• NGOs as active players in Russia (NGO
  representative)
• Impact of the new strategy proposal to the future
  work of the group

16/10/09
11
12
Activities after CSR in Gdansk 3

• Application for continuation of funding for the
  coordination of the EG in 2010 (August)
• New project applications
• Development of low threshold services in the
  Leningrad Region (2010-2012)
• HIV prevention among reproductive aged women in
  Karelia (Russia), 2010-2012
• Strengthening of municipal anti-drug networking
  in the Murmansk Region, 2010-2012
• HIV/TB collaboration in Murmansk, 2010-2012

16/10/09
12
13
Activities after CSR in Gdansk 4

• Guidlines for provider-initiated voluntary
  medical examination, testing and counseling for
  infectious diseases in injecting drug users
  (Norway EMCDDA)
• Commenting the OECD Accession Review of the
  Russian Health System for the Ministry of Social
  Affairs and Health, Finland (July)
• Memorandum on Arctic collaboration for the
  Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland
  (August)

16/10/09
13
14
Administrative issues

• A new member representing the European Center for
  Disease Control (ECDC) was appointed to the group
• Chair and co-chair arrangements will continue
  through 2010
• Two Expert Group meetings spring 2010 in
  Finland, autumn meeting to be defined later

15
Project status in August 2009

• 18 projects ongoing
• 7 proposals under consideration
• 21 projects completed

16/10/09
15
16
Future plans in 2009

• Participating to Eastern Europe and Central Asia
  AIDS Conference, Moscow, 28-30 October
• PAC and side event
• World AIDS Day, 1 December
• Study tours by groups from Archangelsk and
  Kaliningrad to low threshold services for
  injecting drug users in Finland (November)
• Seminars for prison health and rehabilitation
  centre personnel on issues of HIV, TB and drug
  use (December)
• 12th European AIDS Conference (Nov 11-14,
  Cologne)
• ECDC meeting on HIV testing (November 2-3)

16/10/09
16
17
Plans for 2010

• Project activities will continue and new projects
  started depending on financing decisions
• Two Expert Group meetings spring 2010 in
  Finland, autumn meeting to be defined later
• Update of thematic issues/new themes
• International AIDS Conference (Vienna 18-23 July)
• More detailed plans pending the new ToR for the
  Expert Group

16/10/09
17