Ukrainian government condemns HIV patients to death, say protesters

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Ukrainian government condemns HIV patients to death, say protesters

18 April 2013

Wearing sacks over their heads to suggest an execution, protesters in Ukraine have argued that without government funding people with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and hepatitis are condemned to death.

Volodymyr Zhovtyak from the Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS fears what the epidemic of viral diseases means for his country, while funds allocated for treatment of the diseases have not yet been released this year.

In contrast, African countries like Rwanda and Botswana supply 80 per cent of their HIV infected population with treatment. With one of the highest HIV infection rates in Europe, the government has agreed to finance measures to prevent the spread of the disease. Though this will be little cheer to those needing treatment now.

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