Foundation for HIV-infected hemophiliacs needs money

Foundation to support HIV-infected hemophiliacs spends the money

05/20/2014

After the so-called blood scandal in the 1980s, around 2,000 Germans had been infected with HIV via blood products, in 1995 the „Humanitarian Aid for blood-infected people“ launched to support those affected. However, as the patients live significantly longer than originally expected, the foundation threatens to run out of money. The health spokesman for the CDU parliamentary group, Jens Spahn, who is also chairman of the Foundation's Council, has therefore again called for an increase in funding.

The end of April had the „Humanitarian Aid for blood-infected people“ It has already been pointed out that the remaining funds will last until 2017 at the latest. A total of 260 million euros would be required to support all those affected and their children up to the age of 25. However, the Foundation does not have the necessary funds for this. Based on a recent study by Prognos AG on the future of the foundation, Jens Spahn said that the funds will probably be used up by the end of 2016. The study concludes that the Foundation's financial basis must be secured in the long term by means of endowments if the roughly 550 surviving directly affected persons and their children are to receive the necessary financial benefits after 2016 as well.

HIV-infected people survive unexpectedly long
When the foundation was set up in 1995, the people in charge expected that those affected by the HIV infection would survive at most until 1999 and the foundation's capital was kept correspondingly low. However, the tremendous medical advances in the treatment and care of HIV patients has resulted in around 550 affected people still alive today. „Thankfully, thanks to new medicines, those affected live much longer than they thought it would“, Spahn explained to the news agency „dpa“. But this also led to the fact that the original approximately 250 million D-mark endowment capital (100 million D-Mark from the federal government, 90.8 million of six pharmaceutical companies and other funds from the German Red Cross and the federal states) by far not sufficient.

Funds from the foundation already increased several times
In 2010, more funds were provided by the federal government (approximately 25 million euros) and the pharmaceutical companies (4 million euros) for the continuation of the foundation. Of the funds, the foundation provides monthly financial assistance to HIV-infected people in the amount of about 767 euros and to AIDS patients in the amount of about 1,534 euros per person. The children get up to the age of 25 512 €. In order to continue to support those affected to the necessary extent, stand „It is our duty to secure the foundation and its services for the future too“, stressed Spahn. At present, health policy-makers across the EU are committed to earmarking another ten million in the budgetary consultations to secure funding for the Foundation by 2017. In order to ensure the continued existence of the foundation, timely negotiations between the federal government, the federal states, the Red Cross and the pharmaceutical industry are required.

Help also for hepatitis C-infected?
The Chairman of the German Hemophilia Society, Werner Kalnins, told the news agency „dpa“ , that „Compensation is also needed for those victims of hepatitis C.“ are. About 3,000 hemophiles infected with the hepatitis C blood scandal are still alive. However, only those who are HIV-infected receive benefits from the foundation. In haemophilia patients, the blood clotting is significantly impaired, so in the 1980s, the treatment with coagulation factors was practiced. The coagulation factors were in turn obtained from the blood plasma of donated blood. However, no precautions were taken to avoid possible transmission of HIV. Thousands of people became infected with the contaminated coagulation factors derived from the blood of HIV-infected donors. The blood preparations were taken from the market much later and the risks were downplayed for a long time. Only in 1993 did the blood scandal reach the public. (Fp)