![\"press](\"https:\/\/patients.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/press-reliz.jpg\")
During the last UCAB meeting on\u00a029-31\u00a0October, 2012, main priorities for the next year were defined, and work undertaken over the last 2\u00a0years (since establishment) was summarized.<\/p>\n During the last UCAB meeting on\u00a029-31\u00a0October, 2012, main priorities for the next year were defined, and work undertaken over the last 2\u00a0years (since establishment) was summarized.<\/p>\n
Thus, for the first time in\u00a0the history of\u00a0Ukraine almost 100% state funding was achieved for procurement of\u00a0drugs for people living with HIV in\u00a0Ukraine. It\u00a0was the result of\u00a0\u00abLet Me\u00a0Live!\u00bb advocacy campaign initiated by\u00a0UCAB in\u00a02011 and implemented in\u00a0partnership, that yielded the unprecedented Mandate of\u00a0the President of\u00a0Ukraine regarding allocating state funds to\u00a0ensure provision of\u00a0ARV therapy to\u00a0all needing\u00a0it.<\/p>\n
The most noted patient rights campaign this year was the \u00abDeputy Altruist\u00bb campaign, its main purpose being advocating for giving away 1\u00a0billion of\u00a0Hryvnias for the treatment of\u00a0Ukrainians with Hepatitis, TB\u00a0and AIDS. During the campaign, the whole territory of\u00a0government block was covered with bigboards, city-lights etc. with an\u00a0appeal to\u00a0the Deputies to\u00a0repudiate part of\u00a0their expenses in\u00a0favor of\u00a0Ukrainian patients. More that 30\u00a0personal meetings with key party representatives were held. A\u00a0Presidential Mandate is\u00a0under preparation to\u00a0allocate funds necessary for treatment of\u00a0Ukrainians with life-threatening diseases in\u00a02013.<\/p>\n
To\u00a0ensure honest use of\u00a0funds allocated by\u00a0the state to\u00a0respond to\u00a0the most dangerous diseases, UCAB representatives took membership in\u00a0Tender Committees with the Ministry of\u00a0Health. This year already, owing to\u00a0the rigid oversight on\u00a0part of\u00a0patients it\u00a0was possible to\u00a0prevent overpayment of\u00a037\u00a0millions for ARVs by\u00a0revealing corrupt MOH schemes. Scandal in\u00a0mass media related to\u00a0these schemes and initiated by\u00a0patient organization members helped to\u00a0resolve this issue in\u00a0public and recuperate part of\u00a0the overplayed funds for the patients\u2019 benefit.<\/p>\n
\u00abWhen it\u00a0is\u00a0about corruption, we\u00a0take a\u00a0compelling and uncompromising stand\u00a0\u2014 every kopek of\u00a0a\u00a0state budget spent for treatment of\u00a0people whose life depends on\u00a0timely drug administration has to\u00a0be\u00a0spent rationally<\/em>, says Dmytro Sherembey<\/strong>, Head of\u00a0UCAB<\/strong>. \u2014\u00a0We\u00a0make no\u00a0concessions whatsoever or\u00a0strike a\u00a0compromise when it\u00a0is\u00a0about using state funds money. We\u00a0need to\u00a0be\u00a0radical because people lives are at\u00a0stake. In\u00a0the nearest time we\u00a0are going to\u00a0submit to\u00a0MOH a\u00a0list of\u00a0patients to\u00a0participate in\u00a0tender process in\u00a02013. We\u00a0hope that the Ministry will be\u00a0open to\u00a0that.\u00bb<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Dmytro<\/strong> stresses.<\/p>\n For the first time since patients\u2019 organization had started their activities in\u00a0Ukraine UCAB managed to\u00a0establish dialog with pharmaceutical companies and form an\u00a0open communication platform through personal meetings and agreements. Ukrainian patients have already had meetings with 6\u00a0pharmaceutical companies manufacturing drugs to\u00a0treat AIDS and Hepatitis. Thus, for example, during the last meeting with ViiV\/GlaxoSmithKline company the issue of\u00a0Abacavir-containing drug accessibility in\u00a0Ukraine was discussed. This drug is\u00a0patent protected till 2018 that forces the company to\u00a0appeal to\u00a0court every time when their rights are violated by\u00a0generic companies. \u00abNone of\u00a0the generic companies applied to\u00a0GlaxoSmithKline with propositions to\u00a0cooperate in\u00a0order to\u00a0raise access to\u00a0Abacavir-containing products for Ukrainian patients. At\u00a0the same time, we\u00a0are open to\u00a0review such proposals with those manufacturers who comply with our anticorruption regulations inspection, quality control requirements, production eligibility etc., according to\u00a0ViiV\/GlaxoSmithKline procedures.\u00bb<\/em><\/p>\n \u00abFor\u00a0us, patients, such statement is\u00a0very important because very often patients\u2019 lives are endangered due to\u00a0legal or\u00a0court actions. We\u00a0acknowledge GlaxoSmithKline\u2019s openness to\u00a0cooperate with generic companies and patients, and believe that such policy is\u00a0able to\u00a0save thousands of\u00a0lives.\u00bb<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 says Oksana Vaschenchuk<\/strong>, UCAB member.<\/p>\n