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On the occasion of the 29th edition of Sidaction which takes place on March 25, 26 and 27, Doctissimo takes stock of the situation of people affected by HIV in Ukraine with Florence Thune, CEO of Sidaction.
“The current situation in Ukraine today is terrible” begins first Florence Thune, general manager of Sidaction. “In this country which is one of the most affected by the HIV epidemic, the war makes it even more difficult to access screening, treatment and disease prevention programs are increasingly difficult to pursue..
Fewer screenings and prevention
Long before the ravages of war, Sidaction provided financial support to certain local associations fighting against AIDS in Ukraine. Support that is even more essential today, in these times of armed conflict, in order to continue to help the most precarious affected by HIV. “This involves very simple things, such as not reusing used syringes for drug users. The latter are the first victims of HIV in Ukraine. It is also allowing them to use methadone to begin withdrawal. But unfortunately, all this has been stopped because of the conflict, especially in the areas occupied by Russia” deplores Florence Thune.
Prevention programs on the transmission of the disease are also difficult to pursue, due to the destruction of health infrastructures by the war, which also impacts the number of HIV tests, down by about 21%, according to her.
Support for homosexual people
Through its financial support, Sidaction helps homosexual people, thanks to the action of the Ukrainian association Tochka Opory. “Through annual funding of 30,000 euros, the association helps homosexual people to help them in their daily lives. With the conflict that broke out, we allowed them to use this money to rent an apartment for gay people and meet their needs. In terms of health, this involves, for example, an orientation towards doctors who are open to the question of homosexuality”.
The director of Sidaction also announces that she has opened other additional emergency funds to continue to help Ukraine and also supports two Romanian associations that work to welcome sick Ukrainian refugees.
Temporary drug stocks
Indeed, the director of Sidaction says she is worried about Ukrainian refugees who have left for Poland or Romania. Suffering from HIV, they risk running out of treatment in the weeks to come. “There are centers for people with AIDS where they can register, but we know that registering as being HIV-positive can be difficult” explains Florence Thune. By the way, in Ukraine, “large deliveries of medicines by sea are blocked and could not be received by Ukrainian health establishments. The latter are also the prey of the bombardments, which complicates matters. The lack of drugs will affect all people affected by a chronic pathology, and not just by HIV. They are all at risk of running out of treatment.” concludes the director of Sidaction.
To donate:
- By phone at 110, the donation line. 110 is open throughout the Sidaction period and will remain open until April 23 for people who still wish to make a donation.
- Online at https://don.sidaction.org/. Donating online (secure payment) is faster and more economical.
- By SMS to 92 110: if you want to make a donation by SMS, send the word “DON” to 92 110. A donation of €5 will be donated to Sidaction.