Lunze has collaborated for years with scientists from Ukraine and Russia to try to curb HIV rates and increase access to treatment for people who inject drugs. Now that there's a war between Ukraine and Russia, Lunze and his colleagues in both countries are afraid"Our primary worry and fear now is for the lives and the livelihoods of our colleagues and friends in Ukraine who are under constant bombardment and attacks," Lunze said."And then ...
. Their work together has helped increase access in Ukraine to medications to treat substance use disorder, including methadone and buprenorphine. She added that the two manufacturers of methadone and buprenorphine in the country are in Kharkiv and Odesa, both active war zones, and a large stockpile of the medications is in Kyiv.
Dr. Marina Vetrova is one of their research partners. She's an addiction psychiatrist at First Pavlov State Medical University in St. Petersburg.