Concern regarding the sustainbility of HIV/AIDS and Tb Programs financed in Romania by The Global Fund
November 9th, 2009
During 28-30 October 2009, Moscow was the host of the third edition of the HIV/AIDS Conference in CEE.
The capital of the Russian Federation, that is currently facing an alarming increase of HIV/AIDS cases, gathered with this occasion representatives of the most important national and international institutions and bodies in fighting against and preventing this disease at the European level and Central Asian one.
Present at this event, both the General Director of the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund), Dr. Michel Kazatchkine, and Grant Portfolio Manager Mrs. Maria Kirova, who closely supervised the implementation of programs financed by Global Fund in Romania, expressed their concern on continuing these interventions in the near future.
One of the premises of implementing prevention and control HIV/AIDS and TB programs in Romania under the Global Fund's financing was that the Ministry of Health would undertake and continue at the same quality standards, once the international finance will terminate. Unfortunately, due to the current political and economic situation, ensuring the sustainability of these interventions and activities developed through these programs - all being extremely necessary for the population's health - is uncertain.
Mr. Eduard Petrescu, Country Manager of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS in Romania, believes that the problems about the ensuring the continuity of these programs and activities for HIV/AIDS and TB prevention and control, can actually start beginning with next year once most of the external donors and grant makers will withdraw.
There is a need of a dynamic intervention sustained by the politicians so that the efforts - that actually transformed Romania in a country with a quite small number of HIV/AIDS cases - made so far won't waist starting July 2010 when the HIV/AIDS programs financed by Global Fund will reach to an end.
During those 3 days of debate and workshops, the Romanian journalists from the daily newspaper Evenimentul Zilei made a set of marathon-interviews with the present key representatives of the Global Fund and also with the ones of the international institutions involved in the fight against the most frightening disease of the XXI century.
The full version of these statements can be read on http://www.evz.ro/articole/detalii-articol/874858/Toti-au-auzit-de-trecutul-AIDS-in-Romania/
Copyright foto: Evenimentul Zilei.
