The 23rd European Meeting on HIV & Hepatitis – Treatment Strategies & Antiviral Drug Resistance took place on 4–6 June 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.
This annual scientific event brings together leading European clinicians and researchers to discuss current issues in the treatment of HIV, viral hepatitis, and other infections relevant to public health. The conference is accredited by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME®) and holds COMPLIANT status under Ethical MedTech standards.
As part of the poster session, researchers from the Ukrainian Institute on Public Health Policy (UIPHP) presented their study titled "Evaluation of a Simplified HCV Integrated Management (SHIM) Model in Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT) Clinics in Ukraine." The authors are Myroslava Filippovych, Kostyantyn Dumchev, Tetiana Kiriazova (UIPHP), and Iryna Ivanchuk (Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine).
The study aims to assess the effectiveness of the SHIM model, which offers free HCV treatment directly within opioid agonist therapy (OAT) settings, with minimal diagnostic requirements and full support by medical staff. The model was first piloted in 2021 and has been implemented since 2022 in the challenging context of full-scale war.
Results from both the pilot and main implementation phases demonstrate high treatment effectiveness and strong patient acceptance. The SHIM model significantly improves access to HCV care and enhances the overall appeal of the OAT program. Patients emphasized the importance of receiving both types of care from a single provider in a familiar and supportive environment.
The project is implemented by the Ukrainian Institute on Public Health Policy in partnership with the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, with support from The Western-Eastern European Partnership Initiative on HIV, Viral Hepatitis and TB (2020–2025).
The poster presentation was published on the conference website as part of the Abstract Book | 23rd European Meeting on HIV & Hepatitis 2025, under number 89 – “A simplified HCV management algorithm in Opioid Agonist Treatment clinics in Ukraine: first implementation experience.”