Brooklyn-based medical school SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University announced that it has been awarded a $1.5 million grant to fund a newly-established Ukraine HIV research training program.
The school’s Special Treatment and Research (STAR) Program received the grant from the Fogarty International Center, a global health arm of the National Institute of Health (NIH).
The grant was announced at a two-day conference, in which numerous SUNY Downstate representatives joined health leaders from Ukraine, Poland and Georgia to formally launch the new research training program.
According to SUNY Downstate, Ukraine has reported the second-highest HIV incidence rate in Europe for years now, with around 13,000 Ukrainians infected with the virus each year.
Amidst the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the Brooklyn medical school says that heavy damage, as well as compromised infrastructure and health facilities have caused significant disruption to HIV prevention and treatment services in Ukraine, putting HIV-affected individuals at higher risk without access to antiretroviral therapy.
SUNY Downstate said its objective with the research training program is to “advance public health research to make a lasting impact on global HIV outcomes.”
“This grant is critical to Downstate’s commitment to international collaboration to address global public health challenges. Our global research partners and the NIH’s Fogarty International Center are fundamental in this collaboration to mitigate the spread of HIV and address obstacles to treatment in Ukraine,” said Dr. DeHovitz. “The ongoing war and public health challenges in Ukraine underscore the importance of sustained commitments to HIV prevention, and we look forward to embarking on this impactful project over the next five years.”
The newly funded research training program is a joint effort between the Ukrainian Institute of Public Health Policy (UIPHP) and the New York State International Training and Research Program (NYS-ITRP) — the STAR program’s global health research arm.
Since 2010, NYS-ITRP has been working in Ukraine to address gaps in the country's HIV care continuum and substance use treatment system.
