In an op-ed published today in The Guardian, our founder Elton John reflects on the promise that he made Ukraine in 2007, that he would do everything he could to help end their AIDS crisis. In the following 15 years, the Elton John AIDS Foundation worked alongside national efforts, and proudly saw new HIV infections in Ukraine decrease by more than half, and AIDS-related deaths fall by 81%.
Today is a different story. Ukraine’s impressive advances in ending its HIV epidemic are now at risk. Russia’s full-scale invasion on Ukraine almost a year ago to date (February 24, 2022), has resulted in heart-breaking loss of life and disruption across the country, with as many as 8 million Ukrainians forced to flee. Amongst so much damage and loss are an estimated 250,000 Ukrainians living with HIV and over 600,000 people from communities particularly at risk.
Since the start of the war, we have funded 44 shelters across 21 cities and 16 regions to provide crucial humanitarian aid to people living with and affected by HIV. We provided each shelter with the specific equipment they needed to give uninterrupted refuge and services to cover gaps in their resources. This support ranges from generators, fuel, sleeping bags, mats and powerbanks, to heating and cooking appliances. Organisations have shared that with our help, shelters and daily centres have become “hubs of hope” where people in need sought not only HIV-related services but also “a place with light, tea, heating, telephone connection and a helping hand.”
This support keeps people alive, but it isn’t enough. That’s why today, we’re proud to announce new funding for the country to ensure progress is not lost, and to support continued efforts to deliver vital services to people living or at risk of HIV.
Read Elton John’s op-ed on our commitment to Ukraine and follow us on social media as we’ll be sharing stories from some of the incredible shelters that we’ve been able to support thus far.
