Gala concert at the Kiev Palace of Sports sets the ball rolling

HIV/AIDS is an issue that is often only associated with countries in Africa, but the disease constitutes a serious threat in European countries as well. In Ukraine, for example, the latest estimates indicate that more than 1.6 percent of 15 to 49-year-olds are infected – roughly one in sixty of this segment of the population. This is the highest infection rate in Europe. Awareness-raising work is an urgent necessity.

‘Ne dai SNIDu schans – Don’t give AIDS a chance!’ This slogan can now be seen all over Ukraine. The first national prevention campaign was officially launched on 1 December 2009, World AIDS Day. The Ukrainian Ministry of Health appointed a working group specifically for this campaign, consisting of experts from the Ministry and GTZ.

At a press conference, Valeriy Bidniy, Deputy Health Minister, and Svitlana Cherenko, head of the committee set up to counter HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other socially dangerous diseases, vividly described the HIV/AIDS situation in Ukraine, drawing particular attention to the high rate of new infections. Speaking to representatives of the most influential national print media and television broadcasters, they called for solidarity with those affected and emphasised how important Germany’s support was in the battle against HIV/AIDS in Ukraine.

The campaign was formally inaugurated at a gala concert at the Palace of Sports in Kiev, attended by 10,000 guests (photo above). Jenny Bluhm, a staff member from the GTZ Office for German Public Sector Clients, was among the audience at the gala and enthuses about the successful campaign start: ‘Together with our Ukrainian partners we are facing a major challenge in the fight against HIV/AIDS. This positive public response and the great media interest are now giving the campaign the momentum that it needs to really achieve something.’

The campaign is part of the German-Ukrainian partnership initiative to combat HIV/AIDS that GTZ is organising on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Health. The initiative promotes cooperation between German and Ukrainian institutions, hospitals and NGOs; it improves HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care, and aims to alleviate other suffering caused by the disease. This is backed up by awareness-raising work, aimed at countering the rise in new infections and combating prejudice – which often leads to social exclusion.

The initiative is closely interlinked with the activities of two BMZ projects: Reform of the Health System and Prevention of HIV/ AIDS, and HIV/AIDS Prevention in Eastern Europe. The Office for German Public Sector Clients ensures that the individual inputs of the various projects and programmes of the German federal ministries are harmonised. This successful approach shows how we can considerably enhance the results and outreach of all measures through cooperation.