URGENT SIGN ON – treatment interruptions in Russia

[Guest guest]

Dear POZ-HEALTH members,We would like to address you

with regard to the situation that takes place in Russia with the antiretroviral

treatment as of end of June 2008. For the past month several regions are

reported to have treatment interruptions almost all over the country. This

situation, despite increased funding and demonstrated preparedness of the

Russian Government to ensure universal access, is repeating for the 3rd time

for the 3rd year since mass treatment was made available at the national level. Below is a translation of the open letter prepared by Russian community

organisations, which is sent to

relevant healthcare and government authorities. We are asking you, HIV activists and all people living with HIV to support this appeal and address your letters to the

following addressees (draft is attached for your easy reference).

On behalf of

The International Treatment Preparedness Coalition in Eastern Europe and

Central Asia (ITPCru)

Community of PLHIV, Regional Public Organ isa tion,

Russia

Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN)

URGENT

SIGN ON – treatment interruptions in Russia! DEADLINE is JULY 14! We need your

support!You

can sign the letter on-line on our web-site: http://www.itpcru.org/en/homeBUT

WE ALSO ASK YOU TO FAX IT. Letter to be sent to the following faxes: Mr. Dmitry Medvedev, President

of the Russian Federation, fax +7 495 606-0766 Mr. Vladimir Putin, Prime

Minister of the Russian Federation, fax +7 495 605-5236Ms Tatyana Golikova, Minister

of Healthcare and Social Development, fax +7 495 628-5058Mr. Gennady Onischenko, Head of

the Federal Service for the Surveillance of Consumers' Rights and Human

Welfare, fax +7 499 973-2643, e-mail: depart@...Mr. Nikolay Yurgel', Head of

the Federal Service on the Surveillance in Healthcare and Social

Development, fax +7 495 698-1462, e-mail: info@...Ms Valentina Petrenko, Head of

Council of Federation Committee for Social Policy and Healthcare, fax +7

495 692-5616Ms Olga Borzova, Head of the

State Duma Committee on Health Protection, fax +7 495 692-5016------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dear

Madame/Sir,

We are very much concerned with the situation that is taking place in Russia

with the provision of antiretroviral treatment for patients with HIV. As far as

we know there are several regions in Russia that have been facing treatment

interruptions for the past month, where patients on treatment do not get the

guaranteed medications on time and/or are offered to change treatment schemes.

As you know, treatment interruptions and changing treatment regimens, when it

is not prescribed by medical reasons, significantly increase the risk of the

development of resistant forms of HIV, complicate treatment process by an

individual, decrease motivation and adherence to treatment. In a long-term

perspective this undermines investment in human development and quality of

life.

In 2008 Russia has reported to provide treatment for 40,000 patients in need

and ensure universal access according to its national obligations and declarations

made at the international level, while the abovementioned situation shows there

are serious barriers in making this progress achieved. The scarcity and/or

unavailability of treatment for several weeks as of end June

2008 in various regions

require system measures to be undertaken at the highest political level to

ensure this kind of situation does not repeat. It is our belief that the

Government of the Russian Federation should put more effort to ensure universal

access and solve the situation with treatment supply.

Date

Signature

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------OPEN LETTER

On behalf of the community of patients, among them citizens of the Russian

Federation, people living with HIV, we are addressing you with regard to the

critical situation taking place with the provision of treatment for patients

with HIV.

Though in Russia it is not the first year that the national priority project

'Health' is being implemented, currently a number of regions are facing a

catastrophic situation with the lack of antiretroviral treatment for HIV.

According to the Government plan 40,000 patients are to be provided treatment

in 2008. Unavailability of life-saving medications for those in need is a

reason that medical clinics are unable to provide treatment, guaranteed by the

state, which violates the right to medical help. Interruptions in HIV treatment

process may cause the increase of new cases, complications for health, development

of resistant forms of HIV. This situation undermines all the efforts to develop

adherence to treatment among patients, who being afraid of negative

consequences of treatment interruptions, lose trust to the capacity of the

public health system to provide necessary medications. As a result people who

have developed HIV resistance would need a more expensive treatment at the

expense of the federal budget.

Auction sales for the right to conclude contracts for the supply of

antiretrovirals in 2008 within the framework of the national priority project

'Health' was conducted in end May

2008. In 2007 it was conducted in April.

Obviously for this reason treatment interruption happen everywhere and

regularly and the purchases do not consider available stocks and demands. It is

therefore difficult to overestimate efforts undertaken within Global Fund

projects, which are hastily trying to partly fill the emerging gaps by

supplying reserve drugs to regions facing interruptions, though these efforts

are not enough to substitute the supply expected within the national project.

The fact that this situation takes place in Russia for the 3rd year and

apparently appears to be systematic proves that the system of supply of life

saving treatment is far from being efficient. It is happening when the Russian

Federation at the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS on 10-11 June

in New York reports with good indicators and states about its commitment to

fight the epidemic. To our opinion, the current situation with regard to

treatment supply can not be called relevant to high estimates of the progress

achieved, which creates a lot of anxiety and concern among the community of

patients and organizations advocating for the rights of PLWHA.

It worth mentioning that this problem for Russia is not a new one. It was

USSR/Russia who faced the epidemic of multiresistant TB forms, which is very

expensive and sometimes impossible to treat. This happened because of

interruption with antiTB drugs supply. The same situation is taking place with

regard to HIV now.

We appeal to the Government of the Russian Federation, decision-makers and ask

you to solve the abovementioned situation without delay. As a lot of people,

whose health in under threat, are concerned, we insist on operative measures to

be taken immediately.

We also recommend that adequate measures are undertaken to ensure timely

medications supply and establish a reserve fund to avoid such situations in the

future.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Best regards,Anastasia

Agafonova, Vergus, Vladimir Osin, Denis Godlevskiy,

ITPCrumail to:anastasia.agafonova@... ICQ

308-406-776skype redtri-nity+79111364272