Make a Donation

Infectious diseases hospital, Orehovo-Zuevo, Moscow region, Russian Federation (Photo by Ilse Frech - Copyright Ilse Frech / Digital scans by Luna-x colour studio & gallery, Amsterdam)

• The countries of the former Soviet Union have some of the fastest growing HIV/AIDS epidemics in the world.
  
• Official Russian sources estimate that around 1 million people – almost 1% of adult population in the Russian Federation – are HIV positive; the same sources forecast that the total number of infections will rise to 5-7 million by 2008.
  
• There are 236 000 officially registered people living with HIV/AIDS in the Russian Federation, while fewer than 1500 are receiving treatment.
  
• The Russian incarceration rate is among the highest in the world with 820 000 inmates in the system (Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, 1 October 2003). Currently, 74 000 inmates (9%) have active TB and 38 000 (4.6%) are HIV positive, receiving no HIV/AIDS treatment at all.
  
• Ukraine was the first European country where more than 1% of the adult population is HIV positive.
  
• AFEW is the only international organisation specifically designed to fight the HIV epidemic in the states of the former Soviet Union.
• Through its physical presence in the region, AFEW is in the best position to advocate action in the former Soviet Union on the part of both the East and the West.
  

Since 1997 AFEW has developed, produced and implemented mass media campaigns on safer sex and solidarity for people living with HIV/AIDS in the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Mongolia. More than 1.5 million brochures have been distributed in the past five years. In 2002, 43% of the respondents against 20% in 1998 reported having used a condom ‘always’ in the last six months.

Training workshops on harm reduction for injecting drug users were conducted in 42 cities in the Russian Federation, 23 in Ukraine and 8 in the Republic of Moldova. Altogether 260 peer educators and health professionals have been trained. Research shows that harm reduction programmes result in establishing close contacts with the target group. Injecting drug users start taking care of their health, tend to reduce their risk-taking practices, and in some cases stop using drugs.

Since 1999, AFEW has worked in the Russian prison system reaching out to 80 000 inmates on HIV prevention. Through training workshops and making the right information available, the climate of fear associated with HIV infection among staff and inmates has diminished. One female inmate said, ‘Now I know that the virus can only be transmitted through blood or sexual intercourse. I was afraid before but now I am 100% sure that it’s not an airborne virus.’

Informational materials produced by AFEW in 2001-2003

AFEW provides pre- and post-HIV test counselling training for appropriate medical personnel within the framework of all its training programmes. Additionally, in 2002 an intensive three-year counselling programme began in Kazakhstan for 40 health professionals.

In October 2002, AFEW began a five-year pilot project to promote HIV/AIDS prevention and drug demand reduction among prisoners and sex workers in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

AIDS Foundation East-West training for prison doctors on HIV/AIDS prevention (Photo by David Gillanders - Copyright david gillanders_photography, mob_+44 (0)7974 920 189; e_david@dg-photo.co.uk )

Central Bureau of Fundraising of the Netherlands
AFEW is a charitable organisation awarded a 'Certificate of No Objection' by the Central Bureau of Fundraising (CBF) of the Netherlands. The CBF has closely reviewed AFEW to ensure that no more than 25% of funds raised are spent on administrative costs, that there is an independent board of directors and that all financial reports are presented according to the same accounting principles. The CBF created this preliminary certification for newly formed organisations such as AFEW. The CBF may be contacted by telephone at 0900-202 5592 (0.35 €/min). Dutch-readers may view their web site at www.cbf-keur.nl.