Social and psychological support Center for HIV/AIDS affected children and their relatives in Odessa

The first thing that usually pops up in our head when we talk about AIDS Epidemics are 3rd world countries in Africa, but most people don’t know that Ukraine (Kiev is only 2 hours away from Vienna by plane) holds the sad number 1 ranking of the highest HIV – Infection rate in Europe and has the fastest growing AIDS Epidemics worldwide.

We did not realize yet the humanitarian catastrophe happening here. The most recent studies show us that approximately 500.000 of 47 Million Ukrainians live with the HIV Infection.

The Ukraine is a country with big financial and social problems, a country where the most part of its population live below subsistence level.
The results are frightening: A rapid decrease of population. Life expectation became the lowest in all of Europe. With the circulation of people, drug addiction, tuberculosis and AIDS became to epidemics and assume horrendous proportions. Insecure law and order and corruption are determined in the day to day life of numerous Ukrainians. The most who suffer are the children, who grow up in a social environment of drug addiction and prostitution as well as numerous children who live on the streets.

The southern part of the Ukraine and especially Odessa is the most affected region by the spreading of HIV. Approximately 100.000 people who are infected with AIDS live in Odessa. There are more than 10.000 children infected with HIV/AIDS. Most of them are being confronted with discrimination in their own society (between kids of same age), social disruption and the impossibility to receive qualified medical supplies and adequate education.

Since 2007 Caritas-Spes manages a support center in Odessa to help children until the age of 18, who became infected with HIV through their parents or earlier sexual experiences.