| News from AIDS Action Europe |
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Russian annexation of Crimea threatens drug users
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 The Russian occupation in the Crimea has far reaching consequences for over 800 people who inject drugs and benefit from Needle exchanges and Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) therapy. Participating in OST programs allowed long-term addicts to avoid illegal drugs, sustain a more normal life, and get medical treatment for related medical conditions like HIV and hepatitis. As a result of the annexation clients of opiate substitution programs are being criminalized and legislation bans opiate substitution therapy. One of the OST programs in Sevastopol implemented by community-based organisation “ Havan +”, local affiliation of the All-Ukrainian Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS is under immediate threat of shutting down... >>
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European HIV Legal Forum meets in Amsterdam
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One of the projects of AIDS Action Europe is the European HIV Legal Forum (EHLF). The project was born a couple of years ago at a seminar on HIV and the Law, which was organised by AIDS Action Europe in cooperation with the National AIDS Trust in the UK. Legal obstacles to access appropriate HIV services – from prevention to testing, treatment and care – were highlighted and the participants expressed the need to look in greater detail at legal issues.
Some countries – Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK – followed up on the conclusions from the seminar and created the EHLF...>>
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Women, ethnic minorities, drug-help services: What makes a difference?
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 In most EU states drug-help services (like prevention and harm-reduction) for women using drugs are still inadequate. The needs of for example pregnant women, mothers, and sex workers are not met. The WEDworks project, implemented in five Central and Eastern European countries identifies gaps and resources in the service provision for drug using women. Through a series of semi-structured interviews and focus groups unmet needs of the service clients for health and social support were outlined. The project partners have just finalised the qualitative research phase and first results were recently presented with a poster at the German Public Health Congress in Berlin.
“I tried a lot of options, but nothing was successful, so I tried to stop just by myself. Again with no success.” (drug using woman, Slovak Republic)... >>
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| Project in the Spotlight: All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS |
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All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS has more than 10 years experience in advocacy of access to treatment for HIV-positive people. We conduct advocacy street actions as well as negotiations with government officials and representatives of pharmaceutical companies.
Thanks to these activities, 51 584 HIV-positive Ukrainians now have access to antiretroviral therapy
(ART). Ten years ago, only 250 people were treated, and only 10 000 people were treated five years ago. Therefore, we can say with certainty that the advocacy work has results.
 One of the main focuses of All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in 2013 was anticorruption activity in healthcare. Monitoring of public procurements of HIV/TB medicines in Ukraine reveals inefficient state budget spending, gaps in price regulation. In 2012 Ministry of Health of Ukraine procured ARV-drugs by the prices 1.5-3 times higher than the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria project in Ukraine. The main consequence of this situation is significant decrease of quantity of medicines that can be procured within the allocated state budget. Thousands of HIV-positive people in Ukraine pay the price in terms of their life and health.
Based on key findings of monitoring of state procurements in healthcare conducted by the Network and Anticorruption Action Centre (AntAC) in December 2013 AntAC presented an analytical report “ Who makes money on HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in Ukraine”. In this report AntAC’s experts showed how Ukrainian taxpayers’ money allocated for the procurement of HIV and TB drugs end up in the pockets of private intermediary companies, and developed recommendations for possible reforms. Full report and recommendations are available here.
Want to link up with other member NGOs? Like us on Facebook and meet them on Member Monday!
Your organisation in the spotlight? Please contact our communications coordinator Rieneke de Man.
AIDS Action Europe currently unites more than 400 NGOs in 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia. We hope that member NGOs presenting themselves will inspire other NGOs throughout the region and that it will encourage further linking and learning between our members. Together we can work towards a better response to the HIV epidemic!
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AIDS Action Europe office
Soa Aids Nederland (STI AIDS Netherlands)
Keizersgracht 392 email: office@aidsactioneurope.org
1016 GB Amsterdam phone: +31 (0)20 626 26 69 the Netherlands fax: +31 (0)20 627 52 21
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