NGOs defending rights of HIV-infected persons picket Health Ministry building

Representatives of 13 nongovernmental organizations that defend the rights of the HIV-infected persons Thursday picketed the building of the Ministry of Health, expressing their concern about the fact that only 30% of the persons who need treatment benefit from it and that the state does not buy medicines from the budgetary funds, but counts fully on foreign financing, which will stop coming in 2014, Info-Prim Neo reports. “6,000 HIV-infected Moldovans now need important viral treatment and only 2,000 receive it. These 2,000 persons benefit from treatment that is fully financed from the Global Fund, which will be used up in 2014. It thus results that the other about 4,000 persons are simply dying slowly,” said the representative of the public association “Positive Initiative” Rodica Eftodii. Rodica Eftodii said that by this protest they want to remind the authorities that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is not under control in Moldova. “We want to know what will happen in 2014, when there will be no money. The decision must be taken today. Experts say the procedures must be initiated immediately if we want to manage to purchase drugs from the state budget in 2014. Since the Global Fund came to Moldova 10 years ago, the Government has bought no pill from state money,” she stated. The protesters brought towels with them and tied them to the Ministry’s fence. “It is the authorities that should decide whether these towels will remain a traditional symbol of happiness and joy or will serve as presents at the funerals of the 6,000 persons who may die because they do not receive viral treatment,” said the young woman. Cristina Gabere, head of the Ministry’s National Programs Division, said that all the persons infected with HIV or with AIDS, including those who are not medically insured, benefit from specialized ambulatory and hospital assistance. Currently, the national program for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases is financed from the mandatory health insurance fund and the Global Fund. About US$600,000 is allocated from the Global Fund annually. According to Cristina Gabere, over 48 million lei will be planned in the 2014 state budget and approximately 55 million lei will be budgeted in 2015 for purchasing medicines. The Division’s head said that this money is enough as Moldova will enjoy special prices when it will buy these drugs. In Moldova there are 15,000 HIV-infected persons, 6,000 of whom need treatment.