| Popis: |
Background HIV in Ukraine continues to be concentrated among PWID. According to the IBBS, only 58% of HIV-positive PWID are aware of their status, so more than 33.000 PWID living with HIV remain undiagnosed. The mapping of PWID locations makes it possible to optimize the HIV case-finding activities, which include both stationary testing sites and outreach routes. Methods We used community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to mapping the locations of PWID in 12 cities. The study was conducted in collaboration with leading community-based organizations. We identified the locations in each city, the approximate number of PWID in its, and the schedule for visiting each location (peak days and hours). Data on current locations of HIV testing sites and outreach routes were used for additional analysis. Results 885 PWID locations of 24 different types were identified (from 31 to 223 in each city). Among them are pharmacies, streets/yards/garages, shops, markets, places of drug sale, parks, places of PWID accumulation, pawnshops/banks, hospitals, transport stops, cafes, entertainment points, railway stations, probation, rehabilitation centers, social and psychological assistance points. 63.3% of locations are not associated with medical and social services and were previously unknown to HIV-services. Locations were visited all days of the week from 6.00 am to 0.05 am. The mapping results were visualized using Google Maps and QGIS and compared with HIV-projects data. The current location of the sites and outreach routes does not allow the full reach of PWID and relies on the most famous gathering places. Conclusions Data on the PWID locations are often incompletely known to HIV testing services, which limits the successful HIV cases-finding among them. Experience with community-based mapping has made it possible to re-plan routes and relocate fixed sites to better reach PWID. Obtaining such comprehensive results would not be impossible without collaboration with PWID-community. |
