Programme (2009-2013). Benefits from a stronger and more coordinated Governmental response to AIDS will have significant spill-over effects for larger Government priorities in health, socio-economic development, and lead the way for Ukraine’s commitments to the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, and gradual integration into the European Union. Specific Recommendations: KR.I.i Declare AIDS as a leading national health and social priority for the State of Ukraine, and adopt measures to insulate the implementation of Government’s commitments on AIDS from future political changes KR.I.ii Clarify the roles and responsibilities for leadership, policy development, coordination and management of the Presidential and National Councils, the Ministry of Health and its Committee on AIDS, and sectoral Ministries KR.I.iii Assign primary responsibility for the national response to AIDS to the Vice Prime Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, and reinvigorate the National Council under his leadership KR.I.iv Increase the amount and proportion of government funding for AIDS to ensure the rapid scale-up and long-term sustainability of all AIDS programmes and activities, including the provision of funding to NGOs for HIV-specific services KR.I.v Provide urgent guidance and support to oblast governments in the development, implementation, M&E of new regional AIDS programmes (2009-2013) KR.I.vi Ensure all government sectors and levels develop detailed annual workplans and budgets on AIDS as a complement to the new National AIDS Programme KR.I.vii Revise the new National AIDS Programme to address systematic shortcomings and specify how Ukraine will scale up towards Universal Access KR.I.viii Revise other related national programmes and projections on socio-economic development to reflect the impact of the AIDS epidemic KR.I.ix Create a separate budget code to monitor all government allocations and expenditures on AIDS at the national, oblast and district levels KR.II
Intensify HIV prevention programmes and policies to have an impact on the epidemic
This will involve the development of detailed policies and annual workplans that specify the full cost of prevention programmes and services, and clearly indicate the proportion of resources to be covered by different sources, and any gaps. This is essential to guide and support priorities for HIV prevention programmes at the national and regional levels, and support the rapid scale-up of coverage and quality of prevention programmes to levels that can have an impact on the epidemic. The focus on behaviour change among MARPs and their sexual partners should be reinforced, with prevention programmes among groups in the general population redirected at raising awareness, and combating stigma and discrimination. Specific Recommendations: KR.II.i
KR.II.ii
KR.II.iii
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Develop and implement a detailed comprehensive national strategy of HIV prevention and behaviour change communication (BCC) as a subcomponent to the new National AIDS Programme; such a strategy should be multi-sectoral and include vulnerability reduction strategies to address the drivers of the epidemic, reflect gender- and age-specific needs, as well as the needs of different subgroups Increase the amount and proportion of government funding and support for prevention programmes for adult and adolescent IDUs, sex workers, MSM, prisoners and the sexual partners of these populations implemented by governmental and NGOs to scale up coverage and quality and ensure long-term sustainability Rapidly increase the coverage of harm reduction and substitution therapy, including in the prison system and for adolescents