This October a medical team, visited the Children's Hospital for Infectious diseases in Crimea with Teams4U to train the hospital staff in the treatment of HIV AIDS in children.

Rachel Cooke, a Community Matron at NHS Newham Community Health and Care Services, led the team of nurses and a doctor. Here is what she had to say about the trip:

“The Ukraine has one of the fastest growing HIV/AIDS epidemics in the world and the highest rate of increase in Eastern Europe. 244 children have already died of AIDS in the Ukraine and a further 1,887 are infected. In many instances hospitals lack even basic amenities such as hot water and showers.

We developed a training course to meet the needs that the medical team in Crimea had identified. These included the diagnosis of HIV AIDS, assessing patients’ needs, patients’ nutrition, medication, controlling symptoms and dealing with death. We also addressed further training needs that we identified whilst we were there and provided instruction in some basic topics such as hand washing.

Following the training sessions, the team made an emotional visit to the British war memorial at Balaclava to lay a wreath (pictured above). The Crimea is remembered for the medical advances introduced by the team’s predecessors Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole during the nineteenth century war. 2010 is the 150 anniversary of the death of Florence Nightingale".

Dave Cooke, Director of Teams4U said:

“Seeing the Ukrainian doctors, nurses and clinical psychologists’ enthusiasm for their work being brought back to life really demonstrates the impact we had. To know we have helped reignite a spark of passion in them for what they do makes it all worthwhile.”