PRESS RELEASE
Bucharest - October 2, 2012
The National Plan for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Prevention and Management in Romania has been approved
The Stop-TB Partnership Romania welcomes the Ministry of Health’s decision to approve the National Plan for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) Prevention and Management in Romania, which answers the most urgent needs for treatment, diagnosis and care for the MDR-TB patients in Romania and is in line with the “Consolidated Action Plan to prevent and combat Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in the WHO European Region”.
“The approval of the National Plan for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Prevention and Management in Romania is an important step in Tuberculosis prevention and control but the health authorities MUST CONTINUE to get involved. An adequate funding and an exemplary mobilisation from the main actors in the field are needed so that MDR-TB will no longer be a threat for the Romanian and European citizens and so that all TB patients can have access to rapid diagnosis, to quality, correct and complete treatment and to social support interventions. A strong collaboration is needed between the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and the non-governmental sector”, said Mrs. Silvia Asandi, MD, General Manager of the Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation – organisation member of the StopTB Partnership Romania.
“Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis is a contagious disease! We will be much safer from this disease when we’ll have effective means of diagnosis, adequate medication, social protection to ensure social reinsertion of the people infected, whose life changes radically and dramatically!”, said Mrs. Catalina Constantin, psychologist, vice-president of the Association for MDR-TB Patient Support.
In this context, the non-governmental organisations members of the StopTB Partnership Romania reiterate their willingness to support the medical system through prevention activities among vulnerable groups, through activities that aim to increase patient adherence to treatment and to help their social and professional integration. The results of the partnership between public institutions and the NGOs who carried out activities through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria grant fully show the professionalism, financial probity and the NGOs’ ability to collaborate in the fight against Tuberculosis:
· 75,000 people from poor communities or from the penitentiary system who had access to education and Tuberculosis prevention interventions;
· 2,000 patients who received food allowances and hygienic supplies in order to increase TB medication adherence;
· 500 MDR-TB patients received complete, continuous and quality treatment.
“Right now, the Ministry of Health does not possess the legal and financial leverage in order to sub-contract the services provided by the non-governmental organisations for prevention, care and social support activities which, in other countries, are carried out exclusively by NGOs. In order to reach our goal and fight Tuberculosis, we need to work together! There are places that only NGOs can reach – poor, isolated, vulnerable communities, with no access to basic medical services and where the Ministry of Health programs are hardly implemented”, added Mrs. Asandi.
For more information please visit: http://stop-tb.raa.ro/
Contact: Tatiana Dabija – ; phone number: 0729 884 592
The Stop TB Partnership Romania includes 18 organisations and has the support of the “Marius Nasta” Pneumology Institute – the National Tuberculosis Control Program, of the Romania – WHO Country Office and the American anthropologist Mr. Jonathan Stillo.
The Stop TB Partnership Romania: The Association for MDR-TB Patients Support; the Romanian Association of TB Patients; Centre for Health Policies and Services; Romanian Red Cross; Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation; the Coalition of Organisations for Patients with Chronic Diseases in Romania; the National Union of Organisations for People Affected by HIV/AIDS; The National School of Public Health, Management and Professional Development; Romanian Association Against AIDS; Romanian Harm Reduction Network; ACCEPT Romania; World Vision Romania; the Association of Medical Journalists in Cluj; Bucharest Medical Students Society; Cluj Medical Students Society; Timisoara Medical Students Society; Iasi Medical Students Society; Targu Mures Medical Students League.