Corporate Agreement- Health Systems Strengthening for a Sustainable HIV / AIDS Response in Ukraine (HSS SHARE)

The project was implemented by Deloitte Consulting LLP under the terms of the HIV Reform in Action project, award number AID-121-A-13-00007, funded by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project aimed to strengthen the health system in Ukraine to improve the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The project focused on three main objectives: enhancing national leadership and capacity for evidence-based and gender-sensitive HIV policy programming and implementation, improving and optimizing resource allocation and financing for national and selected regional HIV/AIDS programs targeting key populations, and optimizing and strengthening human resources for health for the delivery and scale-up of gender-sensitive HIV/AIDS services targeting key populations. During the second year of the project, the team achieved significant results, including the development of Regional AIDS Programs across 14 regions in Ukraine, strengthening of the collaborative relationship with the Ministry of Health, and support for the public health system transformation efforts. The project also conducted a "Human Resources for HIV Comprehensive Situational Analysis" and continued collaboration with the Ukrainian Center for Disease Control and support in strategic planning and strengthening of regional AIDS centers. The project trained and built the capacity for governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, with a special emphasis on change agents for reforms and innovative strategies in HIV. Strong partnerships were forged with national and international stakeholders on initiatives directed at health system reforms and HIV sustainability strategies. Regional pilot interventions were implemented in three regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, and Lviv, and later expanded to Odesa, Mykolayiv, Kherson, and Kyiv city, as well as Cherkasy oblasts. The project supported the development of the "Ukraine Core HIV Patient Pathways" analysis, which provided information on major gaps in the healthcare system contributing to patient loss to follow-up. The analysis highlighted the need for improved healthcare services, including antiretroviral therapy, counseling, and testing, to reduce patient loss to follow-up. The project's success was attributed to the collaborative efforts of the project team, the Ministry of Health, and other stakeholders. The project's achievements demonstrated the potential for sustainable HIV/AIDS response in Ukraine, and the project's lessons learned and recommendations were disseminated to stakeholders to inform future programming. The project's geographic focus was on Ukraine, with a specific emphasis on the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Poltava, Odesa, Mykolayiv, Kherson, and Kyiv city, as well as Cherkasy oblasts. The project's timeframes were from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 2018, with a focus on the second year of implementation. The project's recommendations included the need for continued support for health system reforms, improved healthcare services, and strengthened partnerships with national and international stakeholders. The project's achievements demonstrated the potential for sustainable HIV/AIDS response in Ukraine, and the project's lessons learned and recommendations were disseminated to stakeholders to inform future programming.