PRESS-RELEASE

20 June 2012, Kyiv

People’s deputyProtectshis Billions nearby Verkhovna Rada

Today, intheframeworkof‘Deputy-altruist’campaign, theactivistsgatherednearbytheVerkhovnaRadahave proposed togiveaway1 billionhryvnias, orthethirdpartofthesumannuallyassignedfor sanatorium-and-spa treatment ofstateofficials,tofatallydiseasedUkrainians. Apersonwornbusiness suitof an official triedtoprotectthebillionsofartificialhryvniasfromfatally diseased patients by trundling them on a handcart in front of the Rada.“Stophurlingaroundemptypromisesaboutrefusingfromyourdeputyprivileges”,assertsDmytroSherembey, anHIVpositive, theHeadof the Ukrainian Community Advisory Board. “Todaywehavepassedtodeputieslettersfromourpatientssayingtopubliclyrefusefromonethirdofmedicalexpenses assigned for them and officially affix their signatures under such refusal. ThentheMinistryofFinancewillhavechancetoassignthismoneyinnextyearbudgetfortreatmentofhepatitis, tuberculosis and AIDS and therefore stop these epidemics in Ukraine.Suchaltruisticactcanrevealtothebestwaythoseofpeople’selectedrepresentativeswhocaresaboutthedestinyofpeopleinneedforthehelpandmakeachoicebetween the sanatorium vacation for officials and life of thousands of diseased Ukrainians”.

BasedontheStateBudget2012,UAH2.6 billionshavebeenassignedfortreatmentandsanatorium-and-sparecreationofdepartmentsofthe VerkhovnaRada, the Cabinet, the President’s Administration, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Defense.

ApproximatelythesamesumofmoneyisreceivedbytheMinistryofHealthcarefortherestofotherUkrainiansalloverthegeneral state medical establishments (hospitals, polyclinics, medical centers, and first-aid stations) –UAH 2.8 billions.

Thesearethe people’sdeputieswhoareauthorizedtocutcostsformedicalservicesandsanatorium-and-spatreatmentofthestatemachinery in our country.

ThewallsofVerkhovnaRadahavealsobeencombatedbythepatients’ relativesandpeoplewho lost their natives due to lack of finance of medical establishments. “MysonOleksandrwas 38yearsold when he was diagnosed pneumonia. It’sprobablybeenacoldcaughtatwork”,told us a mother of the deceased Oleksandr. It turned out further that he had tuberculosis. And that was it. It was his death sentence. He was sent to Mostysche,which is called a deadly place. NowIunderstandwhy. Isoldoneroominmyapartmentinordertosavemypoorsonwhowas assigned by the government only UAH 3.5 per day. Doctorvisitedhimonceaweek…But I failed to. Ididnotmakeintime. Iwasrunoutoffunds. Andnowmysonisnolongerhere. However, Ihavecomeheretodaytohelpothermothers, wives, childrensavetheirmoms, husbandsonlybecausethe government does not care, since officials neither see, nor hear this out of their palaces”.

“Howmanyelectors have you killed?”, I put this question to every people’s deputy. “ThereareUAH 2.6 billiononthescales, whicharespenttodayfromthestatebudgetfor VIP medicalservicesfortherulersandthelifeofover 4 millionUkrainiansdiseasedwithAIDS, tuberculosisandhepatitiswhoarestillwaitingforfinancing. EvenapartialrefusalfromtheprivilegescansavethelifeoffatallydiseasedUkrainians, youdecide!», DirectorofInternational HIV/AIDSAlliance in Ukraine AndriyKlepikovappealsto people’s deputies.

“NotapennyhaseverbeenspentfromthebudgetovertheentirehistoryofUkrainefortreatmentofhepatitisthathaveaffectedtoday3.5 million Ukrainians. PeoplewhoshouldhavebeenprovidedfreemedicalservicesbythegovernmentundertheConstitution were left to die. Ihopethatowingtothiscampaignwewillmanagetoopenthe eyesof state officials totheissueoffinancinginUkraineandfirstofallforthetreatmentofsuchpatients”,states the Head of the All-Ukrainian Association “Stop Hepatitis” Olga Gavrilova.

Theactivistshandedoverbooks for collection the signatures tothe heads of parliamentary factions. SignaturesofthedeputieswillcertifytheirreadinesstovotefortheState Budget 2013, which would contain a billion of hryvnias for overcoming three epidemics.

“ItmaybesaidwithoutexaggerationthatepidemicsofHIV/AIDS, tuberculosisandviralhepatitisisakindofatestforoursociety. Thisisatestforthegovernmentintermsofitsabilitytogetmobilizedtogether with public and international organizations for the suspension of epidemics. Thisisaverysensitiveindicator, which builds up the country image. ThatiswhytakingthesethreeepidemicsundercontrolatthemodernstageofdevelopmentofUkraineisextremelyimportantforthefutureofour nation”,says Volodymyr Zhovtyak, the Head of the Coordination Council of the All-Ukrainian Charity Organization “All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV”.

“UAH1 billion fortheliquidationofdangerofthreeepidemicsisnotanissueforthestatebudget. Evenifonemakesaroughcalculationof2.8 billiondistributedamongtheclusterofofficials, forwhomtheyareassigned, and the budget of the Ministry of Healthcare of 2.6 billion distributed among all diseased Ukrainians, the difference would be tremendous! Itworthonlycuttingonethirdofthefundsspentformedicalservicingofthestatemachinery, whichisnotevenperceivedbytherulers, andthealife-savingbillionwouldappearin the budget to stop the three epidemics, which may distress the nation”, asserts Andriy Novak, the Head of the Economists’ Committee of Ukraine, Ph.D in economics.

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TodayinUkraine: 9.5% ofpopulationisinfected with HIV,tuberculosis and viral hepatitis. These are 4 million 184 thousand Ukrainians.

234,832 UkrainiansareHIV positive. Everyday HIV infection affects 58 Ukrainians.

449,201 Ukrainiansareinfected and have active tuberculosis. 12,000 annuallydiefromthis disease. Everydaytuberculosisaffects 102 peopleinUkraine.

3,500,000 Ukrainians are infected with hepatitis.

Overthe20 yearsUkrainehasalreadylost369,780thousand citizens because of these epidemics.

Iffamiliesandrelativesofdiseasedpeoplearetakenintoconsideration, the figure of those affected by epidemics will reach approximately 12,150,000 comprising 36% of the population of Ukraine.

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Campaignorganizers: Charity Organization “Advisory Board of CommunitiesonaccesstotreatmentinUkraine” (UCAB),All-UkrainianCharityOrganization “All-UkrainianNetworkofPeopleLivingwithHIV”, InternationalCharityOrganization “InternationalHIV/AIDSAlliance in Ukraine”, International Renaissance Foundation, All-Ukrainian Association “Stop Hepatitis”; expert support –Charity Organization “Development of Ukraine”.

Contactpersons: OleksandraUstinovaand Inna Boyko

095828 13 38 or 066638 63 10