During the year, many important steps have been taken to mobilize women who use drugs and to create a pool of activist leaders to develop community capacity and advocacy at all levels. The final result of this was a thematic day entitled «The Voice of a Woman», where a resolution on the creation of a network of WUD was adopted. It was held right before the First National Forum of People Who Use Drugs, organized and conducted by the «Hope and Trust» Foundation — http://hopeandtrust.org.ua/pershij-nacionalnij-forum-lyudej-yaki-zhivut-z-narkozalezhnistyu/
Advocacy meetings in 5 regions of the country (Kiev, Vinnytsia, Odessa, Poltava, Kharkiv) became the first step to create a leader pool. As a result, three members of the community joined the regional/city coordinating councils on tackling the epidemic of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. In addition, WUD opinion poll on sexual and reproductive health, rights and needs in the context of paternity were conducted at these meetings. The opinion poll was also conducted on-line at the Fund’s website. We received very important information for further activities, which can be found at the link — http://hopeandtrust.org.ua/analiz-doslidzhennya-zhinok-yaki-vzhivali-narkotiki/ .
The information and reference brochure «Mother, Baby and SMT» was developed and published — http://hopeandtrust.org.ua/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Mama-maluk-i-ZPT-03.01.2018-Print.pdf .
In terms of expanding the access of key groups to the treatment of viral hepatitis, an active counseling activity on all urgent issues of diagnosis, treatment, co-infection, etc. was conducted at the National Hotline on viral hepatitis issues.
In addition, a social advertising campaign was conducted in the Kyiv subway — http://hopeandtrust.org.ua/reklamna-kampaniya-nacionalnogo-telefonu-doviri-z-pitan-virusnix-gepatitiv/ . The partner organizations in the regions also supported this initiative. Information leaflets were distributed to all regions of the country, and placed at locations of key groupes, SMT sites and local NGOs.
An active participation in the campaign dedicated to the World Hepatitis Day was held on July 28 in Kyiv. Also, representatives of the Fund during the podcast of the Hromadske Radio, which was dedicated to this day, talked about the activity of the Hotline on viral hepatitis issues — http://hopeandtrust.org.ua/gromadske-radio-proggepatiti-ta-diyalnist-nacionalnogo-telefonu-doviri-z-pitan-virusnix-gepatitiv/ .