Practicum for pediatricians on HIV infection in children

The national workshop on topical issues of diagnosis, treatment and support of children and adolescents with HIV-infections and co-infections was reopened.

From 13 to 15 March 2018, in Kyiv, the workshop “Topical Issues of Diagnostics, Treatment and Support of Children and Adolescents with HIV-infections and Co-infections” was conducted for paediatricians of AIDS Centres, 40 paediatricians, paediatric infectious disease doctors, and family doctors from 23 regions of Ukraine. The event was organized by the NGO “Childhood without AIDS” in cooperation with the OHMATDET’s Centre ‘Clinic for the Treatment of Children with HIV/AIDS’ and with the support of the Network of PLWH.

This unique workshop was founded by Svitlana Komar at NGO “Childhood without AIDS” in 2005 and it has been conducted until 2009. In 2017, “Childhood without AIDS” with support from the Network resumes the national Workshop on topical issues of diagnosis, treatment and support of children and adolescents with HIV-infections and co-infections.

“For a long time, paediatricians of AIDS Centres have requested the reopening of this initiative,” said Natalia Adamets from “Childhood without AIDS,” “Because the main principle of the work of medical specialists in the field of HIV infection is the comprehensive exchange of information between centres, clinics, and individual specialists who directly work with HIV-infected children.”

Oksana Soldatenkova (the Centre ‘Clinic for the Treatment of Children with HIV/AIDS’) noted, “Such a large-scale event consolidates paediatricians to counteract HIV in children and overcome the consequences of the epidemic of HIV and AIDS among children; it increases the level of qualification of paediatricians from regional AIDS Centres, improves care of children with HIV, improves the dissemination of clinical experience, the mutual exchange of information among doctors through the collective processing of modern protocols related to diagnosis, treatment and development of mechanisms for their introduction into medical practice in Ukraine. The workshop also gives an opportunity for young doctors, who have recently entered the professional practice, to establish cooperation with senior colleagues and to get professional support.”

During the workshop, the following topical issues were reviewed and discussed at the national level:

• Timely detection, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis, including multi-drug-resistant one, in children;
• Modern diagnosis and treatment of children with HIV/HBV/HCV co-infection;
• Studies of primary resistance;
• Cardio-vascular risks, oncological and haematological disorders in HIV-infected children, and others.

Much attention was paid to the urgent issues of social support and assistance to children and adolescents, the implementation of modern models of working with HIV-infected children and the importance of social support while forming and maintaining adherence to treatment children with HIV from problem families.

In the framework of the workshop, the all-Ukrainian consultation was held to review complex clinical cases in practices of the AIDS Centres’ doctors.

All participants emphasized the importance of reopening the tradition to conduct such national workshops and providing cooperation between the Network, the NGO “Childhood without AIDS,” and the Centre ‘Clinic for the Treatment of Children with HIV/AIDS’ of the NCSH “Ohmatdet.”