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ObjectiveEvaluate the change in participant emergency care knowledge and skill confidence after implementation of the WHO-International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Basic Emergency Care (BEC) course.DesignPretest/post-test quasi-experimental study.SettingMechnikov Hospital in Dnipro, Ukraine.ParticipantsSeventy-nine participants engaged in the course, of whom 50 (63.3%) completed all assessment tools. The course was open to healthcare providers of any level who assess and treat emergency conditions as part of their practice. The most common participant profession was resident physician (24%), followed by health educator (18%) and prehospital provider (14%).InterventionsThe 5-day WHO-ICRC BEC course.Primary and secondary outcome measuresChange in pre-course and post-course knowledge and skill confidence assessments. Open-ended written feedback was collected upon course completion and analysed for common themes.ResultsParticipant knowledge assessment scores improved from 19 (IQR 15–20) to 22 (IQR 19–23) on a 25-point scale (p<0.001). Participant skill confidence self-assessment scores improved from 2.5 (IQR 2.1–2.8) to 2.9 (IQR 2.5–3.3) on a 4-point scale (p<0.001). The most common positive feedback themes were high-quality teaching and useful skill sessions. The most common constructive feedback themes were translation challenges and request for additional skill session time.ConclusionsThis first implementation of the WHO-ICRC BEC course for front-line healthcare providers in Ukraine was successful and well received by participants. This is also the first report of a BEC implementation outside of Africa and suggests that the course is also effective in the European context, particularly in humanitarian crisis and conflict settings. Future research should evaluate long-term knowledge retention and the impact on patient outcomes. Further iterations should emphasise local language translation and consider expanding clinical skills sessions.

Background Ukraine has the second largest HIV epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Older People with HIV (OPWH) are at increased risk of poor outcomes compared to younger patients. We examined the prevalence and correlates of loss to follow-up (LTFU) among newly diagnosed patients in Ukraine. Methods Retrospective chart review was conducted of 400 patients newly diagnosed with HIV July 1, 2017 - Dec 1, 2018. Data was collected from clinics in the city of Odessa and surrounding regions. OPWH were ≥50 years old at diagnosis and LTFU was defined as no contact with the HIV clinic for 90 days. Demographic, clinical characteristics, and follow-up outcomes were examined, and multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratios at 95% confidence intervals. Results Of the 400 people living with HIV, median age was 50 (IQR35-55), 196 (49%) were women, and 177 (44%) had CD4&lt; 200cell/mm3 at diagnosis. Overall, 65 (16.5%) were LTFU from diagnosis and 54/65 (83%) were lost after their first appointment at the HIV clinic. Among those lost to follow-up, 49 (75%) were ≥50 at the time of diagnosis. Multivariate analysis showed LTFU was associated with age &gt;50years (aOR 3.6, CI 1.8-7.3, p=0.001), lack of ART prescription (aOR 16.4, CI 8.5-31.8, p= 0.001), and living outside the city of Odessa (aOR 2.9, CI 1.5-5.7, p=0.002). Figure 1 shows the breakdown of lost to follow-up for OPWH. Figure 1. Retainment in HIV Care for OPWH compared to those &lt;50 years old. Conclusion LTFU among OPWH is significantly greater than younger people with HIV, and associated with lack of ART and living in nonurban settings. OPWH may benefit from differentiated HIV service delivery to reduce loss to follow up and interventions tailored to improving HIV outcomes for OPWH in resource-limited settings are urgently needed. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Low- and middle-income countries are home to 80% of older people with HIV (OPWH). Ukrainian OPWH experience higher mortality and decreased antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation than younger patients, but there is little data examining OPWH’s perspectives around new diagnosis and impact on care. In this study, we examined accounts of 30 newly diagnosed OPWH in Ukraine, exploring challenges faced in the peri-diagnosis period. Themes emerged representing the longitudinal coping process: OPWH (1) viewed themselves as low risk before diagnosis; (2) experienced HIV diagnosis as a traumatic event challenging their self-image; (3) used disclosure to seek support among a small circle of family, friends, or health care providers; (4) avoided disclosure to outsiders including primary care providers for fears of stigma and breaches in confidentiality; (5) viewed age as an asset; and (6) used HIV diagnosis as starting point for growth. These findings highlight the need for age-specific programming to increase HIV knowledge and coping, increase screening, and improve long-term planning.

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Background Ukraine has a high burden of HIV, with only 52% of people living with HIV receiving Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) despite test and treat policies and free medications. An underrecognized but significantly increasing proportion of older people with HIV (OPWH) contribute 15% of new HIV diagnoses and demonstrate increased mortality compared to the age-matched general population. To assess the impact of age on HIV treatment outcomes, we examined correlates of ART initiation among newly diagnosed HIV patients in Ukraine. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted of 400 patients newly diagnosed with HIV between July 1, 2017- Dec 1, 2018 in Odessa, Ukraine. OPWH were defined as those ≥50 years old at the time of diagnosis, while ART initiation was defined as prescription and dispensing of medication. Outcomes were censored 6 months from diagnosis. Demographic, clinical characteristics, and ART outcomes were examined and multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate correlates of ART initiation with adjusted odds ratios at 95% confidence intervals. Results Of the 400 included patients, 198 (49.5%) were &lt; 50 years old and 202 (50.5%) were ≥ 50 years old at the time of diagnosis. Patients ≥50 years old were more likely to have a lower CD4 count (median 148 (IQR 60-316) vs 295 (IQR 111-478), p=0.001). Correlates of ART initiation included age less than 50 and history of opportunistic infection within 12 months of diagnosis. After controlling for opportunistic infection history, OPWH were 51% less likely to receive ART than those &lt; 50 years old at the time of diagnosis (AOR 0.496, CI 0.301-0.816, p=0.006). Conclusion OPWH exhibit an ART gap associated with advanced disease at presentation compared to younger individuals newly diagnosed with HIV. This is the first clinical data examining OPWH in Ukraine. Interventions to improve linkage to care for OPWH are urgently needed in a population already at increased risk for HIV related mortality. The results of this study emphasize the need for further studies to examine patient and systemic causes of decreased ART initiation among Ukrainian OPWH. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

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