On December 1, 2025, an online meeting of the regional council on combating tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS was held in Donetsk Oblast.
The meeting brought together representatives of government agencies, the medical community, social services, and non-governmental organizations that work daily with patients living with HIV and tuberculosis, as well as vulnerable populations.
The meeting was chaired by Serhiy Skrypnyk, Director General of the Donetsk Regional Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health and Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Donetsk region. The event was initiated by the Health Department of the Donetsk Regional State Administration.
Three interrelated areas were discussed at the meeting.
Andriy Hrytsenko, head of the NGO "Our Help," reported on the sustainable response to the HIV and tuberculosis epidemics among drug users in the context of war and post-war recovery in Ukraine. He outlined the main challenges faced by people who use drugs and stressed the importance of continuous access to prevention and treatment programs.
Valentina Dzyumak, deputy director of the Donetsk Regional Center for Social Services for Families, Children, and Youth, spoke about social services for families and people in difficult circumstances during wartime, particularly for HIV-infected individuals. She emphasized the role of social service centers and social service provision centers in supporting people who need not only medical but also social and psychological assistance.
Ruslan Belykh, an expert from the regional administration's health department specializing in the organization of primary healthcare, reported on the state of tuberculin diagnostics among children and the supply of tuberculin to primary care facilities. The coverage of children with tuberculin diagnostics was analyzed and the needs of healthcare facilities for stable supplies of tuberculin were outlined.
The meeting participants discussed the practical aspects of implementing measures at the local level, how to combine the capabilities of medical institutions, social services, local authorities, and public organizations so that community residents receive real, rather than formal, assistance.
Following the meeting, the Council members formulated specific proposals on:
strengthening preventive work and coverage of vulnerable groups with HIV/TB services;
improving mechanisms for interaction between medical institutions, social services, and civil society organizations;
providing primary health care facilities with tuberculin for screening the child population.
The Regional Council on Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS Prevention remains an important tool for strengthening the public health system in Donetsk Oblast and protecting the population in the face of ongoing wartime challenges.
Based on materials from the Donetsk Oblast Center for Disease Control and Prevention