The initiators of the “Deputy-altruist” campaign await the President’s commission on allocation of UAH 1 billion in the 2013 state budget for treatment of people living with tuberculosis, hepatitis and HIV/AIDS
26.10.2012
Viktor Yanukovych, the President of Ukraine made arrangement to prepare a draft Order on prevention of HIV-/AIDS, hepatitis and tuberculosis expansion in Ukraine and provision of accessible health care for HIV-positive people as well as the citizens of Ukraine with tuberculosis and viral hepatitis. The document is underway: currently the proposals of interested parties, which will further form the text of the Order, are being gathered.
The document itemizes in the draft state budget of Ukraine for 2013 the costs for Viral hepatitis and TB drug purchasing as well as full financing of HIV/AIDS antiretroviral drug purchasing to treat HIV-positive people.
Preparation of the President’s Commission is an important stage of the “Deputy-altruist”all-Ukrainian advocacy campaign, which was initiated by the patients of the Ukrainian Community Advisory Board (UCAB) and launched in June 2012. It gained support from the leading non-governmental Ukrainian organizations which provide support to people living with HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and tuberculosis. They have appealed to each of the people’s deputies of Ukraine asking them to refuse a part of the public funds meant for their health improvement, and to give UAH 1 billion to the Ukrainians ill with hepatitis, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
There is an online tracking of the MPs’ reaction for the patients’ requests at https://www.milliard.org.ua. The deputies who give a written positive answer are immediately moved from the “I-don’t-care-ist” column to the “Altruist” column. Massive billboards with photos of patients wearing masks have hit all main squares of the Ukrainian capital.
At the press-conference held on September 13, 2012 the patients announced the name list of the “I-don’t-care-ist” MPs who have ignored their voters’ will and brought the letter to the Presidential Administration, containing a common appeal signed by 117 non-governmental organizations. In this letter they asked the President of Ukraine to influence the formation of the state budget for 2013, where 100% treatment of Ukrainians with hepatitis, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS in amount of UAH 1 billion will be provided, including:
- UAH 399,840 thousand for HIV/AIDS treatment,
- UAH 296,160 thousand for purchasing of anti-TB drugs.
- UAH 304,000 thousand for prevention of viral hepatitis.
This money will save lives of 106,740 Ukrainians who have these maladies.
Yuri Pavlenko who has met the patients on behalf of the Presidential Administration assured them that “Your application will be quickly processed and passed to the President of Ukraine, considering the budget process started and the need for quick response”. Thus, the Presidential Order, as an answer to this application, brings hope that UAH 1 billion meant to treat patients for three epidemics will be allocated in the State Budget for 2013, and finally this will become a shared significant victory of the whole public sector.
