Educational seminars, lectures and scientific research on street medicine and helping homeless people with health problems

Why we do this

In order for a homeless person to get off the street, assistance should be comprehensive, interdisciplinary and include a medical component.

Unfortunately, in Russia, street medicine is practically not developed among the helping organizations — a line of work that meets the needs of a homeless person with health problems. This is not taught in medical schools and colleges.

We share our experience with colleagues to develop street medicine in our country.

How it works

• We hold lectures and webinars with the participation of doctors of various specialties who have experience working with homeless patients on Charity hospital projects.
• We translate foreign materials on street medicine into Russian.
• We organize internships in street medicine for employees from other organizations helping the homeless.
• We participate in conferences on street medicine, conduct research and publish the results in scientific journals

Our research and publications:

• Vychegzhanina E.P., Ievkov S.A., Korobova Z.R. Analysis of the prevalence of HIV infection among homeless people in St. Petersburg in 2022. Collection of abstracts of the IX International Youth Medical Congress “St. Petersburg Scientific Readings-2022” December 7-9, 2022, PSPbSMU named after Academician I.P. Pavlov. (In Russ.)
• Ievkov S.A., Bulygin M.A., Kushnir A.V., Ershova K.O., Bulankov Yu.I., Bespalov A.V., Barchuk A.A. HIV infection in the homeless in Saint Petersburg in 2021. HIV Infection and Immunosuppressive Disorders. 2022;14(3):86-93. (In Russ.)
• Statistics of the organization “What do the homeless get sick with?” in St. Petersburg for 2021, in accordance with the ICD-10 disease classes.
• Ievkov S.A., Bulygin M.A., Bulankov Yu.I. Social factors associated with HIV infection in homeless people in St. Petersburg. Collection of materials of the international scientific and educational conference “Topical issues of HIV infection. Maternal and Child Health Protection”, September 12-13, 2022, St. Petersburg. (In Russ.)

Results of work in 2021:

We recorded a series of webinars and lectures on street medicine, all in open access on our YouTube channel:

• Psychology of homelessness
• Medical and social examination of the homeless
• Street therapy
• Street Dermatology
• Surgical diseases of the homeless
• Asepsis and antiseptics in street medicine
• Vaccination of the homeless against COVID-19 in Russia: how to organize?

We also shared our experience:

• As part of the charity weekend of the Echo of Petersburg radio station – Echo STATION
• At the conference of Separate collection “The charitable and non-profit sector as the engine of systemic change. The dynamics of development over the past 10 years”.
• At the 17th International Street Medicine Symposium with the report “Practicing illegally: street medicine in Saint-Petersburg, Russia over the past three years”.
• At a seminar on the problems of tuberculosis and HIV infection among vulnerable population groups, organized by the Humanitarian Action Foundation (recognized in the Russian Federation as a foreign agent).