Quarterly Report # 4: Penitentiary, Law Enforcement & Drug sectors Government Efficiency in HIV response

The project is implemented by the UNODC Programme Office in Ukraine in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior, and other stakeholders. The project is funded by USAID/Ukraine with a total budget of US$ 5,000,000. The project's main objectives are to create an environment supportive of evidence-informed and human-rights based HIV/AIDS and drug dependence treatment programs among MARPs, and to strengthen capacities of the State Penitentiary Service, public health, and social services to provide comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, and care services in prison settings. The project's activities include providing sponsorships for participation in international conferences, supporting focused research initiatives, and developing policies, guidelines, and protocols for management of health, HIV/TB, and drug dependence treatment programs in pre-trial detention, prisons, and post-release stages. During the reporting period, June 1, 2012, to September 30, 2012, the project achieved several key milestones. Two representatives of the Law Enforcement sector participated in the World AIDS Conference 2012 in Washington DC, where they attended meetings with relevant US institutions and bilateral meetings with officials from NIDA, the Drug Enforcement Agency, ONDCP, and HQ of UNAIDS, UNODC, World Bank, OGAC, and USAID. Upon their return, they delivered a mission report to the Minister of Interior, which led to the Ministry's assurance of support for the project's implementation. The project also developed a concept for a Knowledge, Attitude, Practices, and Behaviour (KAPB) survey among Ministry of Interior and Law Enforcement staff to collect baseline indicators related to the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the police with regard to HIV/AIDS, stigma, and discrimination, human rights, negative medical and social problems related to drug use, and understanding of evidence-based HIV interventions. In addition, the project supported the participation of two representatives of the Health Care Department of the State Penitentiary Services in the World AIDS Conference 2012, where they attended meetings with other representatives of the Ukraine delegation. The project also communicated intensively with the Ministry of Interior's units to enlist their support for the research implementation. The project's overall goal is to build support among Ukrainian law enforcement officials and other key Government stakeholders for HIV/AIDS and drug dependence treatment services targeted at MARPs, including service delivery within pre-, in-, and post-detention settings. The project aims to achieve this goal by creating an environment supportive of evidence-informed and human-rights based HIV/AIDS and drug dependence treatment programs among MARPs, and by strengthening capacities of the State Penitentiary Service, public health, and social services to provide comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment, and care services in prison settings.