Institute for Health and Human Development

Health and Development

Project: Knowledge for Action on HIV/AIDS in the Russian Federation

Project Lead: Elena Schmidt

Partners:

• UK Department for International Development;
• Imperial College London;
• London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine;
• University College London;
• Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation;
• Federal AIDS Centre, Russian Federation;
• National Scientific Centre of Addiction, Russian Federation;
• Central Public Health Institute,Russian Federation;
• Government of Altai Krai,
• Russian Federation; Government of Volgograd Region, Russian Federation.

This is a collaborative research programme, which has been implemented since August 2002. The work has been funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) as part of its wider programme to support Russian Authorities and civil society in responding to the epidemic of HIV/AIDS, which is believed to be among the fastest growing in the world.

The programme included fifteen primary studies, which focused on behavioural, epidemiological, economic and political aspects of HIV/AIDS in Russia. The research has been unique and innovative in many ways. It for the first time systematically linked data on risk behavior, HIV epidemiology, economics and policy environment and allowed a more coherent and comprehensive understanding of both the Russian HIV epidemic and response. The programme has been implemented through genuine partnerships between the UK and Russia based teams and between multiple governmental and non-governmental stakeholders. The key focus of the programme has been on building local capacities for research and on developing sustainable links between policy-makers, clinicians, sociologists, epidemiologists and community workers.

Issues addressed:

• estimating prevalence of HIV, Hepatitis C and syphilis among community -recruited samples of injecting drug-users;
• estimating the prevalence of drug use using a capture-recapture method;
• of injecting risk environments and factors that increase risks of contracting HIV and hepatitis C by injecting drug- users;
• barriers for implementing effective HIV control programmes including drug treatment; harm reduction for IDUs; sex education in schools; and antiretroviral treatment programmes;
• development of a mathematical model, which is being used by Russian policy-makers and practitioners to forecast the development of the HIV epidemic;
• socio-economic characteristics of injecting drug-users and sex workers as compared to the general population;
• population-based studies, which explored the spread of injecting and sexual risks in the general population;
• attitudes towards HIV/AIDS and people living with HIV/AIDS among policy-makers and the general public;
• the impact of AIDS on firms and private sector enterprises;
• estimation of costs and evaluation of cost-effectiveness of HIV/AIDS interventions in the Russian context.

References and Reports:

The final report outlining the key findings was produced in Russian and English at the end of October 2006. In the same year the UK DFID commissioned IHHD an additional project to develop eight policy briefs advocating the key recommendations and targeting national and international policy-makers. These policy briefs are being produced in Russian only. Up to date two policy briefs have been published. These can be found here: (Brief 1), (Brief 2). We have also published a number of peer-reviewed articles, which can be found here. More publications are in progress.

For further details contact Elena Tkatchenko-Schmidt

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© 2010