ACTION “FREE HIV/AIDS/HEPATITIS ANONYMOUS TESTING OF MEDICAL STUDENTS” STARTED

The action “Free HIV/AIDS/HEPATITIS anonymous testing of medical students”, organized by Students’ Parliament of O.O. Bohomolets National Medical University under support of International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine and pharmaceutical company “Janssen” started on 3, June, 2015.

The following persons took part in the event: Oleksander Naumenko, prorector on scientific pedagogical, treatment activity and postgraduate education at O.O. Bohomolets NMU, Olga Golubovska, head at department of infectious diseases at O.O. Bohomolets NMU, chief specialist of MHC of Ukraine in specialty “infectious diseases”, Serhii Filipovych, director in Department of International HIV/AIDS Alliance.

250 medical students during three days (3-5, June) will have the possibility to make an express HIV, Hepatitis B/C and syphilis test.
”Medical men are the risk group No 1 for hepatitis all over the world. The task of our university is to guaranty the high standard of safety for our students. This action is only the start. Thanks to its performance the University stepped to European way. So, such examinations in Europe are compulsory and held every year. Especially among medical audience. Thus, we hope that this action would become constant”, – told Oleksander Naumenko.

It is the well known disconsolate fact that Ukraine is the leader in Europe due to the level of HIV/AIDS spread. About 1 million of Ukrainians do not even suspect that they are infected. And it means that Ukrainian practitioners and future doctors are in constant danger.

“An extremely large number of Ukrainians do not diagnose the problem and do not know that they are infected. Hereby, the due diagnostics shall become the area of responsibility by doctors, who understand this problem”, – mentioned Olga Golubovska.

The organizers of the action are sure that it is only the start and they plan to perform such actions every year.