Amid Russia Conflict and Drug Epidemic, SUNY Downstate Researchers Battle HIV in Ukraine
Jun 13, 2017
New York State International Training and Research Program Receives $1.5 Million to Conduct HIV Research Training Program in Ukraine
Brooklyn, NY – As prolonged military conflict destabilizes the region, and incidence
of injection drug use (IDU) rises, Ukraine is one of few countries experiencing an
increasing HIV epidemic. The combination of a poorly developed healthcare sector,
plus the lack of HIV research training programs throughout former Soviet nations,
has created an urgent need for public health resources to curtail the spread of further
infections.
In response to the crisis, the plan to develop and implement a “Ukraine HIV Research
Training Program” has earned a $1.5 million, five-year grant for The New York State
International Training and Research Program of SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
(NYS-ITRP). The program supports research that addresses gaps in HIV care in Ukraine,
and aims to decrease the burden of HIV disease through direct training of investigators
as well as development of in-country training resources.
The NYS-ITRP is a research training program focused on building HIV research capacity
in the former Soviet Union, combining resources from SUNY Downstate, SUNY University
at Albany, and multiple training units throughout New York State. The organization
began its work in 1994, addressing similar HIV epidemic conditions in the newly independent
nations of the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland.
“While HIV incidence is declining globally, Eastern Europe and Central Asia are regions
where HIV infections continue to rise,” says Distinguished Service Professor Jack
DeHovitz, MD, MPH, MHCDS, FACP, the director of the program. “This new grant, combined
with a similar grant awarded to the NYS-ITRP for Kazakhstan in 2016, places SUNY Downstate
and its affiliates as a leader in HIV research training in the region,” DeHovitz says.
The program is the only HIV research training in Eastern Europe and Central Asia supported by the National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center.
Despite notable improvements in responding to the epidemic, access to antiretroviral therapy remains low and institutional barriers impede access to care by substance users.
Ukraine, the largest country entirely within Europe, is home to the continent’s most volatile HIV epidemic with an adult prevalence of 1.1%. It has experienced multiple crises since it emerged from the Soviet Union in 1991 including two revolutions, the 2014 Crimean invasion, and the ongoing warfare in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Independence from the Soviet Union also coincided with the emergence of an IDU epidemic.
It has been estimated that this country of 45.5 million now has over 300,000 injection
drug users, contributing to large increases in both HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV)
infections.
The program will work in collaboration with the School of Public Health of National
University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (SPH NaUKMA) and a research-focused nongovernmental
organization, the Ukrainian Institute on Public Health Policy (UIPHP).
Training opportunities developed through this funding include the recruitment and training of HIV Research Scholars, and graduates will receive enhanced training in implementation science, biostatistics, epidemiology, and behavioral health.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.