The Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on HIV Service Provision in Ukraine.

ABSTRACT: Ukraine faced significant fluctuations in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, alongside an escalating HIV epidemic. This mixed-methods study, conducted between February and August 2022, employed a sequential explanatory design combining a quantitative analysis of national data and qualitative interviews to investigate the pandemic's effects on HIV services in Ukraine. The observed trends confirmed that the pandemic significantly disrupted facility-based HIV testing due to logistical challenges, an increased burden on healthcare workers, and supply shortages. Meanwhile, community-based testing showed resilience, largely attributed to programmatic adjustments rather than the pandemic itself. The initiation of antiretroviral therapy declined, especially during initial lockdowns, reflecting dimi

SUBMITTER: Neduzhko O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11384520 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature