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Abstract Introduction Since the onset of the Russian invasion on 24 February 2022, the health system in Ukraine has been placed under tremendous pressure, with damage to critical infrastructure, large losses of human resources, restricted mobility and significant supply chain interruptions. Based on a longstanding partnership between the Ukrainian Institute for Social Research after Oleksandr Yaremenko (UISR after O. Yaremenko) and the Institute for Global Public Health at the University of Manitoba, we explore the impact of the full‐scale war on non‐governmental organizations (NGOs, including charitable organizations) providing services for key population groups in Ukraine. Methods We conducted in‐depth qualitative interviews with key representatives from NGOs working with key population groups (i.e., people living with HIV, sex workers, men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs and transgender people) throughout Ukraine. Members of the UISR after O. Yaremenko research team recruited participants from organizations working at national, regional and local levels. The research team members conducted 26 interviews (22 with women and four with men) between 15 May and 7 June 2023. Interviews were conducted virtually in Ukrainian and interpretively analysed to draw out key themes. Results Applying Roels et al.’s notion of “first responders”, our findings explore how the full‐scale war personally and organizationally impacted workers at Ukrainian NGOs. Despite the impacts to participants’ physical and mental health, frontline workers continued to support HIV prevention and treatment while also responding to the need for humanitarian aid among their clients and the wider community. Furthermore, despite inadequate pay and compensation for their work, frontline workers assumed additional responsibilities, thereby exceeding their normal workload during the extraordinary conditions of war. Conclusions NGOs play a vital role as responders, adapting their services to meet the emergent needs of communities during structural shocks, such as war. There is an urgent need to support NGOs with adequate resources for key population service delivery and to increase support for their important role in humanitarian aid.

Abstract Introduction Effective HIV prevention programme coverage is necessary to achieve Nigeria's goal of ending the epidemic by 2030. Recent evidence highlights gaps in service coverage and utilization across the country. The Effective Programme Coverage framework is a Programme Science tool to optimize a programme's population‐level impact by examining gaps in programme coverage using data generated through programme‐embedded research and learning. We apply the framework using Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey (IBBSS) data from Nigeria to examine coverage of four prevention interventions—condoms, HIV testing, and needle and syringe programmes (NSP)—among four key population groups—female sex workers (FSW), men who have sex with men (MSM), people who inject drugs (PWID) and transgender people. Methods Data from Nigeria's 2020 IBBSS, implemented in 12 states, were analysed to examine HIV prevention programme coverage among key populations. For each key population group and prevention intervention of interest, weighted IBBSS data were used to retrospectively generate coverage cascades that identify and quantify coverage gaps. Required coverage targets were informed by targets articulated in Nigeria's National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework or, in their absence, by guidelines from policy normative bodies. Availability‐, outreach‐ and utilization coverage proxy indicators were defined using variables from IBBSS data collection tools. Sankey diagrams are presented to visualize pathways followed by participants between coverage cascade steps. Results Required coverage targets were missed for HIV testing and NSP among all key population groups. Condom availability coverage surpassed required coverage targets among FSW and MSM, while utilization coverage only among FSW exceeded the 90% required coverage target. Outreach coverage was low for all key population groups, falling below all required coverage targets. Conclusions Our findings identify critical gaps in HIV prevention programme coverage for key populations in Nigeria and demonstrate non‐linear movement across coverage cascades, signalling the need for innovative solutions to optimize coverage of prevention services. Programme‐embedded research is required to better understand how key population groups in Nigeria access and use different HIV prevention services so that programmes, policies and resource allocation decisions can be optimized to achieve effective programme coverage and population‐level impact.