Crisis management by HIV/AIDS non-governmental organisations in the post-Euromaidan Ukraine led to opening new horizons

Civil society played a significant role during and after the 2014 revolution in Ukraine, which led to the resignation of President Yanukovich and his government and triggered a series of political, economic and social changes. In some areas, particularly by HIV and tuberculosis, the critical gaps threatened the emergence of a public health catastrophe. The purpose of this paper is to describe how civil society expands and strengthens its role in complex crisis situations, self-regulating and re-adjusting own aims and strategy by using the case of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active in HIV prevention in high-risk groups and harm reduction.

The paper presents the analysis of the case of Alliance of Public Health, one of the principal recipients of the Global Fund to Fight Tuberculosis, AIDS and Malaria in 2014-2016, during and after the Euromaidan Revolution in Ukraine.

In the post-Euromaidan era, NGO sector has been able to sustain the response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic at a stable level despite significant limitations of resources and the overall fragile situation. Special efforts have been undertaken to continue activities in the conflict zone in the east of the country. Furthermore, NGOs managed to extend beyond their usual responsibilities, bridging the gaps in deteriorating public health and social systems, including taking the leadership in medical procurement; advocating for national plans development; and supplying medical goods to the uncontrolled territories in the east of the country.

This paper is one of the first exploring the role of non-governmental sector in HIV/AIDS programmes in resource-scarce situation of political, social and economic crisis. Case description of the strategies and activities applied in the situation gives the possibility to reflect on raising the effectiveness of the response to existing and emerging public health issues in complex crisis, as well on the potential for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment advocacy to grow into global health diplomacy.