logo
'Accept me': Near Ukraine front, a haven for outcasts

'Accept me': Near Ukraine front, a haven for outcasts

Yahoo04-05-2025

Whenever warm days come to Kramatorsk, near the eastern Ukrainian front, the Svitanok organisation leaves its door wide open, offering advice or a cup of tea to the city's social outcasts.
People living with HIV, those recovering from drug addiction, sex workers -- all are welcome to seek medical guidance and respite from stigma and solace as Russian troops advance toward Kramatorsk.
The refuge they find at Svitanok is vital during the war, when marginalised communities often feel left behind and face heightened insecurity and stigma.
"They support me here, they respect me. I just came to drink some tea. They'll treat me, I know they'll accept me," says Oleg Makaria, who is HIV-positive.
Makaria, who comes to Svitanok most days, hardly reacts to the air raid sirens once again wailing in Kramatorsk, just 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the front.
The 41-year-old jokes that he does not look his age. But he suddenly breaks down thinking about Donetsk, his home city now in Russian hands.
"I understand I can't return to Donetsk anymore. Never in my life. Probably... I'm here alone," he mutters through tears.
Moscow-backed separatists seized parts of the Donetsk region in 2014, a prelude to the Kremlin's full-scale 2022 invasion, which the UNHCR says has displaced nearly 11 million people.
The conflict disrupted treatment -- which needs to be taken daily to control HIV -- to some of the 250,000 Ukrainians estimated by UNAIDS to be living with the infection in 2020.
- 'I didn't break' -
Advances from Russian troops have also threatened drug treatment programmes.
Moscow and its proxies have banned opioid substitution, which replaces dangerous opioids with less harmful substances such as methadone.
Approved by the United Nations and the World Health Organisation, the treatment also reduces HIV transmission as it lowers drug injections.
No one would guess looking at Natalia Zelenina, but the bright social worker sporting a red bob and bright pink lipstick spent five years in Russian custody.
She was carrying legally prescribed drugs for her replacement therapy when she was stopped by Moscow-backed separatists controlling parts of the Donetsk region in 2017.
"I realised how strong I was," the 52-year-old said.
While her colleagues campaigned to get her out, she fought to obtain treatment for her HIV.
"I survived, I endured it all. I went through it all. I didn't break," she said.
After being released to Kyiv-controlled territory in a prisoner exchange, Zelenina returned to Svitanok.
"I knew that I could only recover in a familiar atmosphere," she says.
But even in the protective bubble of Svitanok, where most workers have HIV and a drug dependency, the boom of explosions can be heard in the distance.
One employee told AFP she started consuming "just a little bit" of drugs to alleviate her anxiety –- until her colleagues helped her get clean again.
Iryna Mamalakieva arrives holding her four-year-old son Maksym, who wobbled off at any opportunity to pick dandelions on a patch of grass.
The unemployed 31-year-old former mine operator, diagnosed with HIV in 2019, relies on Svitanok for medical and legal help.
"Some people give up, some hang themselves. I knew people like that: They found out about their diagnosis, and even if they had children, they drank themselves to death and quietly went to hang themselves," she said.
- 'Melancholy in my soul' -
The war has exacerbated stigma towards HIV-positive people and those suffering from drug addictions, counsellor Svitlana Andreieva told AFP.
"The rest of the world that's outside our doors, it tells them that they are nobody, that they're not accepted, they're not respected," she said.
Andreieva herself remembers being kicked out of hospitals and beaten up by the police because she was addicted to drugs and HIV-positive.
Then she learned law, which she shares with visitors who went through similar experiences.
"The next time they don't come with tears," she said. "They say: 'What do I need to do, which law article should I rely on?'"
But Andreieva's patience is often tested.
After an altercation with a regular, she finds a bouquet of lilacs in lieu of apologies in the office.
Hard to win over, she initially shrugs it off.
But Svitanok's workers and beneficiaries face yet another hurdle: cuts in US humanitarian aid.
Svitanok has for now survived Washington's aid freeze, but is scrambling to find alternative sources of funding for some of its many programmes, which partly rely on US money.
The uncertainty "really knocked me out of my stability", Zelenina says.
"There's such a melancholy in my soul, you know? I love my job. I simply can't imagine what I will do tomorrow."
brw/cad/dt/cw/js

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Can I donate blood and how do I do it? Urgent call for donors amid low stocks
Can I donate blood and how do I do it? Urgent call for donors amid low stocks

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Can I donate blood and how do I do it? Urgent call for donors amid low stocks

The NHS needs 200,000 more regular blood donors to sustain a safe and sufficient supply. Low blood stocks in 2024 prompted an "amber alert', but blood stocks have remained low ever since. NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is now urging more people to donate to avoid a "red alert", which is a critical situation where public safety is threatened. It described the past year as "challenging" for blood stocks, noting that just under 800,000 people are supporting the entire blood supply in England. The whole process of giving blood takes just one hour. When arriving at a blood donation centre, you are asked to complete a safety check to make sure you can give blood. You will be given 500ml of fluid to drink – drinking this will help the body maintain blood pressure, prevent dizziness and help the body replenish the donated blood. Then, to ensure it is safe to donate blood, medics will confirm your identity and information in your health check. In some cases, a registered nurse will follow up. A drop of blood from your finger is then checked for iron levels. If these levels are too low, the appointment will be rescheduled. Those able to donate will be seated in the waiting area before being called to a donation chair. Here, a cuff will be placed on your arm to maintain a small amount of pressure during the donation before a suitable vein is found and the area is cleaned. Then, a needle will be inserted into your arm to collect your blood into a blood bag, which has your unique donor number on it. A scale weighs the blood and stops when you have donated 470ml - that's just under a pint. The needle is then removed from your arm, and a dressing is applied. The NHS says the process of giving blood should not hurt and should only take about 10 minutes. Although more donors are needed, there are some health, travel and lifestyle reasons that may stop you from donating blood. Donors need to be fit and well, aged between 17 and 65, weigh between 7 stone 12 Ibs (50kg) and 25 stone (158kg) and have suitable veins. However, you can't donate blood if you have cancer, some heart conditions, have tested positive for HIV or are a hepatitis B or C carrier. If you have received blood platelets, plasma or any other blood products after January 1980, or if you have injected non-prescribed drugs including body-building and injectable tanning agents, you also cannot donate. If you've had anal sex with a new partner in the last three months you may have to postpone your donation. If you feel unwell, are pregnant or have had a baby in the last six months, have had a tattoo or piercing, or have recently travelled to certain countries outside the UK, you may also have to wait before you can donate blood. There are thousands of blood donation venues across England, some are permanent and others are pop-ups. Church halls, sports centres, mosques, football stadiums and hotels are all used as pop-up venues. To check where your closest one is, visit the Give Blood website. You will need to book an appointment ahead of your donation which can be done online as soon as you have signed up as a blood donor. There is a 'critical' need for more donors who have the so-called universal blood type, O negative blood, which is needed for treatment in emergencies. The NHS said there is also a need for more Black donors, who are more likely to have specific blood types which can help treat people with sickle cell disease.

The Coastal Health District offering free HIV testing
The Coastal Health District offering free HIV testing

Yahoo

time4 hours ago

  • Yahoo

The Coastal Health District offering free HIV testing

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – The Coastal Health District HIV Prevention Program is partnering with Walgreens to hold free HIV testing events to commemorate National HIV Testing Day (NHTD). This year's NHTD events will be held on Friday, June 27, at these Walgreens locations in Chatham and Glynn counties: 2109 E. Victory Drive, Savannah: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. 11509 Abercorn Street, Savannah: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. 700 E. DeRenne Avenue, Savannah: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. 4210 Augusta Road, Garden City: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. 4575 Altama Avenue, Brunswick: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. According to the Coastal Health District, Georgia has some of the highest HIV rates in the country. Many people living with HIV may not be aware of their status. There are many effective ways to prevent HIV or, if you are infected, to treat HIV so you can live a healthy and full life. But the first step is to know your status. As a reminder, HIV testing is always free by appointment at all health departments in Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, and McIntosh counties. Free self-test kits are also available and can be used at home. For more information on the Coastal Health District, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Black Kids Are 5 Times More Likely to Get Severe COVID. Now Vaccines Are Being Cut.
Black Kids Are 5 Times More Likely to Get Severe COVID. Now Vaccines Are Being Cut.

Yahoo

time5 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Black Kids Are 5 Times More Likely to Get Severe COVID. Now Vaccines Are Being Cut.

The Trump administration has declared an end to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant people, and health experts have a warning: This is a threat to Black communities. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced the decision on May 27 and said vaccine guidance would now focus solely on adults over 65 and those with high-risk conditions, effective immediately. By June 3, Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos stepped down from her role helping lead the agency's COVID-19 vaccine advisory group, saying she could no longer support decisions that put pregnant people and children at risk. Before the changes took effect, COVID-19 vaccines were recommended for anyone 6 months and older. Kennedy did not offer a scientific rationale for the new recommendations. For Black Americans, the policy shifts are more than bureaucratic changes, according to Oni Blackstock, a physician and founder of Health Justice, a racial and health equity consulting practice. 'These new guidelines don't exist in a vacuum,' she said. 'Limiting booster eligibility risks further compromising the already fragile health status of many Black Americans.' Black Americans are 1.5 times more likely to contract COVID-19 and four times more likely to be hospitalized, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Research from the Center for Primary Care at Harvard Medical School found that Black children are more than five times as likely to die from the virus. An estimated 165,000 to 220,000 Black Americans have died from COVID-19, according to data compiled by the APM Research Lab. According to a 2023 report from the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 32% of Black Americans who contracted COVID-19 also experienced long COVID symptoms. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cited a lack of evidence that annual boosters are needed by healthy, low-risk adults. However, Blackstock, a primary care and HIV physician, said the policy change marks a significant departure from past years when vaccines were broadly recommended and federally funded. 'This contradicts recent CDC data showing that the 2024–2025 boosters benefit people 18 years and older, especially early after vaccination,' she added. Blackstock noted that many Black Americans already struggle with health care access due to systemic barriers like a lack of insurance and residential segregation. 'When these combine with more restrictive vaccine guidelines,' she said, 'it becomes even harder for Black Americans to get boosters and worsens existing health disparities.' These barriers also deepen historic mistrust in health care, said Jerry Abraham, a family and community medicine physician. Abraham, who is director of the CDU-KEDREN Mobile Street Medicine program in Los Angeles, said the history of medical racism and continued treatment disparities fuel skepticism toward public health. Even as boosters offer real benefits, he said, many remain hesitant or disconnected from resources that ensure protection. 'If children and pregnant women are no longer recommended for vaccination, will grandma still go to CVS and get it herself?' he said. Abraham added that in an era where health care professionals can no longer trust the updated guidelines from federal agencies, it's deeply concerning and a reminder that Black communities must once again rely on themselves. For answers about what comes next, read on. Aisha Harris, a family medicine physician in Flint, Michigan, told Capital B that limiting access to COVID-19 vaccines for healthy adults exposes high-risk groups like seniors and those who are immunocompromised. 'Reduced protection in healthy people increases their risk of being infected by COVID and of being a carrier,' said Harris, who owns the direct primary care clinic Harris Family Medicine. 'When more people are contagious, with or without symptoms, they have a higher chance of infecting others around them, including in their household or those they are taking care of as caregivers.' She warned this undermines community immunity. Without widespread coverage, even eligible groups face elevated risks. FDA officials say the new approach mirrors those taken by Australia and several European nations that limit vaccines to older or high-risk adults. But some critics argue the shift ignores U.S. disparities and bypasses standard CDC procedures. You can pay out of pocket, but it could cost up to $200. If the CDC doesn't recommend vaccines, Abraham said health plans are much less likely to cover them, since insurers typically follow CDC guidance. Yes, COVID-19 vaccines have already undergone extensive clinical trials before being authorized for public use. The FDA says it will require longer clinical trials before approving updated shots for healthy kids and adults, with studies lasting at least six months, likely delaying fall approvals. The CDC's vaccine advisory committee is expected to vote on fall vaccine recommendations in late June, but it's unclear how much influence it will have over the newly announced changes. High-risk conditions for COVID-19 vaccine eligibility generally include chronic kidney disease, chronic lung diseases, asthma, diabetes, immunocompromised states (from cancer treatment, organ transplant, HIV, etc.), heart conditions, Alzheimer's disease, obesity, sickle cell disease, smoking, and stroke or cerebrovascular disease. Yes. Studies show COVID-19 vaccination, including boosters, reduces the risk of severe illness and may lower the chances of developing long COVID symptoms after infection. The post Black Kids Are 5 Times More Likely to Get Severe COVID. Now Vaccines Are Being Cut. appeared first on Capital B News.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store