AIDS/HIV

Global Fund having a Funding Crisis

Many people around the world depend on the funding from the Global Fund to help in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria. This is mainly down to many countries in places like Africa being reluctant to provide the adequate funding be that due to financial or political reasons. In 2009 alone the Global Fund invested $180 million in harm reduction programs in over 42 countries. At least half of AIDS drugs in developing countries are funded from the Global Fund and 85% the African TB program is funded by the Global fund, this however is all in jeopardy.

Shame Russia shame!

Danny Morris of Exchange Supplies reports from a demonstration at the Russian Embassy London on World AIDS day, December 1st 2011, to protest at the abject failure of Russia to provide basic drug treatment and access to HIV medication.

The HIV epidemic in Russia

To watch the documentary click here

Russia's drug policy merely increases HIV infections

Russia has been in the grip of an HIV epidemic for years now with many organisations believing that it will not reach the millennium development goal 6. This is partly due to Russia’s inability to tackle the prevalence of HIV amongst IDU’s which are most likely caused by a Russian government abysmal drug reduction strategy which involves denying any use for harm reduction.

Irina Abdyusheva Teplinskaya investigated

Irina Abdyusheva (Teplinskaya), who was taking the Russian Government to court to force them to allow her and many other Russian's access to methadone appears to have been the victim of drugs being planted on her.

On returning from drug treatment in Ukraine, she was stopped and 'found' to have some methadone in her possession.

You can read her statement below.

We will keep you informed of how you can support her.

Harm Reduction in Ukraine

After the Orange Revolution in 2004 Ukraine won praise for adopting a drug substitution programs. Previously many ex-soviet states had opted against substitution programs with Russia leading the way claiming that it merely means the substituting of one drug for another. This has led to rampant rates of HIV with some sources saying that as much as 2% of the Russian population may have HIV many of which have got it from non-sterile needles. Some even say that up to 65% of those in Russia with HIV may have gotten it from sharing needles.

African Americans and HIV

The AIDS epidemic among African Americans in some parts of the United States is as severe as in parts of Africa. This is shocking for a wealthy, industrialised country that spends more money on health care than any other nation in the world. HIV remains prevalent in the U.S.A. however and, significantly, continues to disproportionately affect African Americans. In fact, nearly half of all HIV and AIDS cases diagnosed in the U.S. over the past ten years have been African American.