HIV-infected arrested on World AIDS Day

HIV-infected arrested on World AIDS Day in Moscow. The demonstrators wanted to draw attention to grievances in the Russian supply of medicines.

02/12/2010

Ten people living with HIV used World AIDS Day to draw attention to the problems of AIDS sufferers in Russia with a demonstration in front of the seat of government in Moscow. The demonstration ended with the arrest of those infected with HIV.

With posters on which the Ministry of Health as „burial Ministry“ the HIV-infected had wanted to draw attention to the malpractices in the drug supply of AIDS patients in Russia. At cold weather, the ten protesters gathered in front of the White House in Moscow and denounced the failings of the Ministry of Health. Although HIV-infected people in Russia generally have a legal right to a free therapy, the supply of antiretroviral drugs is extremely poor. Thus, many HIV-infected people can not be treated with the appropriate means.

Although the demonstration ended with an arrest of those infected with HIV, the Attorney General's Office has now confirmed for the first time that the authorities are accused of numerous failures to purchase medicines. On the website of the Attorney General's office is from „numerous irregularities“ In connection with the purchase of medicines for HIV-infected and hepatitis patients reported, which many patients could not be treated and sometimes even the therapy had to be discontinued. According to the Attorney General, this year the purchase of antiretroviral medicines started in the fourth quarter. Some supply contracts were not signed by the competent authorities until November, others had not yet been signed. Thus, there is a significant shortage in hospitals and other institutions, where the corresponding medicines are often no longer in stock, reported the newspaper „Vedomosti“ referring to the statements of the prosecutor.

Since tens of thousands of HIV-infected people can not be treated for lack of medication, those affected are increasingly taking their rights to the streets. Even indictments against the competent authorities, such as currently in Moscow, Kazan, Tula and Arkhangelsk, are no longer a rarity. Even President Medvedev himself, in the face of ill-health, has already entered the discussion, and in August, Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Tatiana Golikova, called for work to be done to improve procedures and hold those responsible to account.

Even Wadim Pokrovsky, head of the National Russian Anti-Aids Center and the parliamentary group for the fight against AIDS had already sharply criticized the Ministry of Health and criticized the fact that for some unknown reason it would refrain from buying cheap medicines at an early stage. Instead, the authorities would pay five to eight times the price of their late drug purchases, making the care not only worse, but also more expensive. Therefore, MEPs and activists had requested a parliamentary inquiry into the practice of the authorities in November. According to the newspaper „Vedomosti“ However, as a result of the investigation petition, only the organization of the Russian Anti-Aids Center was scrutinized and MEPs would not have received an answer to the questions of common practice.

According to Vadim Pokrovsky, it is also to be criticized that Russia as a whole has no strategy to combat the spread of HIV. Pokrovsky warns: „As for the speed at which HIV spreads to us, it is now worse off than in Africa“, because every day about 150 to 160 people are infected with HIV nationwide. According to official estimates, around 570,000 people living with HIV today live in Russia, but experts believe that more than one million people are affected. Of the officially AIDS victims, Pokrovsky claims that 130,000 would require treatment, but currently only about 75,000 people are receiving appropriate medical care. Another problem with the spread of AIDS in Russia, according to the National Anti-Aids Center, is that 70 percent of those infected are under the age of 30. Given the problems, it is therefore easy to understand that the ten HIV-infected people wanted to draw attention to their concerns with the demonstration. The arrest of activists, on the other hand, again does not shed any light on the Russian authorities' treatment of AIDS. (Fp)

Also read:
HIV process on World AIDS Day
Precursors of AIDS viruses tens of thousands of years old
AIDS: SI virus is considered a precursor to HIV
Why some people do not get AIDS despite HIV