HIV

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HIV

BPID organizes Informational Days on Sustainable Development throughout the country in June-August 2018

HIV

SDG logo Sofia, July 12, 2018

The Bulgarian Platform for International Development of which BFPA is an active founding member and coordinating organization, hosts Informational Days in all 28 regional centers in Bulgaria. Each meeting is part of the activities under the “Civil Dialogue for Development” project. It is implemented by BPID with the financial support of the European Commission and aims to contribute to increasing information and engagement in regard of implementing UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the role of the EU in this process as well as about Bulgarian commitment. The focus of the informational activities is on implementation of the commitments by the Bulgarian government specifically for Goal 3 – Good Health, Goal 4 – Quality Education, Goal 5 – Gender Equality and Goal 16 – Peace and Prosperity.

BFPA’s participation in the European HIV and Hepatitis testing week

Sofia, November 17–24, 2017

In the period between November 17 and 24 BFPA was one of the 15 Bulgarian organizations who took part in the European HIV and Hepatitis testing week. The campaign was held for a fifth consecutive year, BFPA being part of it from the very beginning, as for the last three years Hepatitis B and C testing is included in the testing options. The aim is to increase the number of informed individuals about the dangers of infection as well as encourage them to find out their HIV and Hepatitis status. The campaign is pan-European, 679 organizations from the whole of Europe and Israel signed up for participation, as a certain part of them are multinational. The organizations from Bulgaria, who took place in the campaign, focus on prevention of HIV infection, prevention of prevalence of Hepatitis B and C and also organizations who focus on prevention of STI as a whole.

Fourth European testing week for HIV and Hepatitis

Sofia, November 18-25 2016

For a fourth time the Bulgarian Family Planning and Sexual Health Association (BFPA) is one of the leading Bulgarian participants in the European testing week from Nov 18th to the 25th. For a second time the week includes not only HIV but also Hepatitis testing. The testing week is taking place in over 50 countries all across Europe, including Bulgaria. Besides BFPA, 10 other Bulgarian organizations have signed up for implementing the activities of the testing week.
The aim of the campaign is not only to help people learn their HIV and Hepatitis B and C status, but also to inform people to the benefits of regular testing and promote testing itself.

BFPA support for the volunteers from the ARETE youth foundation

December 1 2015

For December 1st – the World AIDS day -, volunteers from the “Arete” youth foundation made a tour around the populated areas of Drenovetz, Nikola Kozlevo, Svishtov, Lom, Vulchedrum and Kyustendil. At some of the schools there they gave presentations and posters, elaborated by them and handed out informational materials.
A group of young people was giving away symbolical ribbons, also brochures and condoms at the centre of Svishtov and around the university campus.

Test, treat, prevent

Sofia, November 22-27 2015

For a third year the Bulgarian Family Planning and Sexual Health Association (BFPA) was one of the first organizations to join the European HIV testing week, and this year the focus besides on HIV was also on Hepatitis B and C. 417 international institutions working in the field of prevention of HIV prevalence participated in the Testing week, among which 7 from Bulgaria. At BFPA's VCT centre and in outreach locations 34 people were tested and a total of 33 HIV tests, 13 Hepatitis B tests and 6 Hepatitis C tests were conducted. Besides being from different age groups (from 19 to 52 yrs), the tested were representatives of different social groups as well. The focus of the European Testing week is not only on testing but also on prevention, and for that the initiative has the support of 30 international organizations - world and pan-european.

NEW APPROACHES IN TREATMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASES CAUSED BY THE HEPATITIS B (HBV) AND HEPATITIS C (HCV) VIRUSES

Sofia, July 27 2015

Prof. R. Argirova - virologist, Tokuda hospital, Sofia

Хроничните инфекции, причинени от вируса на хепатит В (HBV) и хепатит С (HCV) са широко разпространени в света, при хронифициране причиняват тежко протичащи и продължителни заболявания, често преминаващи във фиброза, цироза, чернодробна недостатъчност и първичен чернодробен карцином с фатален изход и представляват огромен товар за всички здравни системи. И двете инфекции увреждат силно черния дроб и са най-честата причина за чернодробна трансплантация.
И двата вируса са хепатотропни, предават се по кръвен и полов път, но структурата, репликацията, както и имунният отговор към двата вируса се различава съществено, а оттам – и естественият ход на инфекцията с тези вируси е различен.
Погледнато от историческа гледна точка, и двете инфекции се третираха доскоро с терапия, базирана на интерферон-алфа (IFN-alpha). Пегилираните IFNs обаче показват малка ефективност при множество странични действия. През последните няколко години се наблюдава бързо подобрение на лечението, особено на инфекцията с HCV, при която към пегилираните интерферони се добавиха т.нар. DAAs – direct-acting antivirals. Ясно се очертава тенденция към преминаване към безинтерферонови режими.
Независимо от хепатотропността си, двата вируса се различават по вирусната си структура и стратегия на репликация, което обуславя и различаващо се терапевтично поведение. Ето някои от основните вирусологични различия между тях. HBV е ДНК-съдържащ вирус с непълна двойно-верижна ДНК, а HCV съдържа РНК.
Жизненият цикъл на HBV (Фиг.1) започва с навлизане на вируса в клетката чрез рецепторен механизъм, следва разсъбличане (вирусът се е освободил от външната си обвивка и се превръща в нуклеокапсид) и вирусната ДНК влиза в ядрото на клетката.

Fig. 1

Фиг.1 Схематично представяне на жизнения цикъл на HBV (описанието в текста). Източник: www.medscape.org. cccDNA – матрица за вирусната репликация, персистира дълго време и обяснява хроничното вирусоносителство и възможността за реактивиране на инфекцията. Тя не е директна мишена на антивирусната терапия.

Training sessions for students of the American College in Sofia

Sofia, December 5 2014

On December 1 and 2, at the American College in Sofia, a team from the Bulgarian Family Planning and Sexual Health Association (BFPA) - Dr. Iva Koumanova - BFPA volunteer, and Daniela Dikova - health manager and consultant, performed a series of six healh training sessions for the ninth graders.

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