Public Health Fakes: Ukrainian soldiers are tested for HIV free of charge, so they get sick en masse. Issue #53

Pro-Russian Telegram channels spread information about the outbreak of HIV infection in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This is allegedly evidenced by an announcement in the “Doctor Kharkiv” hospital regarding free HIV testing for military personnel. The current examination is associated with 62 thousand liters of donor blood infected with HIV, hepatitis B and C, delivered by NATO in 2022.

What’s the reality?

There are no announcements about a similar promotion on the website of the “Doctor Kharkiv” hospital. This is a private medical institution that provides paid medical services. It is possible to diagnose HIV in Ukraine for free. According to the new version of the law on combating HIV, everyone who is in the territory of Ukraine has the right to free HIV testing, free medical care, and a free supply of antiretroviral drugs for treatment.

Free HIV testing can be done by a family doctor, therapist, or pediatrician. In addition, the Medical Guarantee Program includes the package “Diagnosis, treatment and support of persons with HIV infection”, which provides for free testing, laboratory tests, medical supervision, prescription and dispensing of antiretroviral therapy, monitoring of adverse reactions, social support, and psychological support, counseling on prevention for family members and family planning.

Propagandists try to pass off HIV testing as a sign of the health care system’s inability to cope with challenges, when in fact, the opposite is true. Testing is one of the main tools for disease control, as it allows early diagnosis of the disease. Therefore, quick and accessible HIV diagnosis, on the contrary, is a sign of the quality of the Ukrainian health care system. The full-scale invasion of Russia provoked a number of problems regarding the provision of HIV surveillance, the logistics of providing services, primarily in the southeastern regions, became more difficult.

In 2023, the testing process is actively recovering: in 6 months of 2023, the volume of HIV testing services increased from 670,139 to 1,023,575 (+52.7%) tests compared to the same period in 2022, even exceeding pre-war figures, in 6 months of 2021 – 975,309 (+4.9%) tests. The restoration of testing volumes leads to faster detection of the disease and the provision of timely therapy.

In May 2023, the director of UNAIDS in Ukraine, Roman Hailevich, noted that there is a steady decrease in mortality from HIV/AIDS in Ukraine. “Over the past 20 years, we managed to provide access to HIV treatment for all people diagnosed with HIV. And for 10 years in Ukraine, there has been a steady decrease in mortality from AIDS. According to UNAIDS calculations, from 2010 to 2021, the estimated number of AIDS deaths in Ukraine decreased by 81% from 14,000 to 2,800,” he noted. In the conditions of war, the risks of infection do increase, due to the increase in the number of injuries and wounds, the need for surgical interventions, and the provision of first aid at the point of impact of projectiles or on the battlefield. Increased risk requires increased control. However, there is no mention of any sharp epidemiological increase in the incidence.

References to “contaminated” foreign blood are also absurd. In 2022, no one delivered 62,000 liters of donor blood to Ukraine, this fake news was invented by Russian propagandists. The Ministry of Health of Ukraine promptly responded to the rumors with a refutation statement. We wrote about this fake in the December review. In Ukraine, an effective planned donation has been established, as well as logistical processes that make it possible to ensure and constantly renew blood stocks. If the centers feel an urgent need for donor blood, Ukrainians can respond to requests and close such needs.