HIV-infected and tuberculosis patients appealed to the President

HIV-infected and tuberculosis-infected Kyrgyzstanis appealed to President Sadyr Zhaparov, the head of the Cabinet of Ministers Akylbek Zhaparov, his deputy Edil Baysalov and the Minister of Health Gulnara Baatyrova with a request not to restructure the state medical service that provides services to people living with these diseases.

Recall that officials want to join this center to the National Institute of Public Health.

The appeal states that now more than 7 thousand people living with HIV receive therapy in this center. Specialists are engaged in preventive work and advise more than 30 thousand representatives of key populations. The Center has an extensive network of modern laboratory services for the control of viral hepatitis and HIV.

"Over the years of their existence, they have been able to establish activities in such a way that people living with HIV can receive treatment in a safe, trusting atmosphere. Thanks to the active and progressive position of the service staff, Kyrgyzstan is one of the leaders in the region in the successful fight against the HIV epidemic. The country is almost closer to achieving global targets for HIV treatment coverage of all those in need... We are almost closer to identifying all cases of HIV and 90 per cent of those treated have successful treatment. At the same time, international partners, who significantly support the country's efforts in the fight against HIV, highly appreciate the effectiveness of the service. At the same time, the center is working to ensure that the entire population of the country has access to services in connection with viral hepatitis," the appeal says.

As for the National Institute of Public Health, the applicants note that it occupies three floors of a building on Logvinenko Street, 8. But half of the offices are practically abandoned, there is no repair, some of the premises are leased. There is no information on any practical activities of this institution.

"At the same time, the new head of the National Institute of Public Health, Zharkynbek Kassymbekov, instead of establishing the work of the institution entrusted to him, is engaged in trying to destroy other services. We see him on television, in the Jogorku Kenesh with speeches that show a lack of understanding of approaches to combating the HIV epidemic in the country, a lack of knowledge of the country's national goals and international obligations, and his actions can lead to the fact that people living with HIV may be left without services and medicines, and the country's budget will experience an additional burden due to the care of donor organizations. We see him trying to destroy what works for people. We are also hearing about his reputation and the reasons why he resigned from the Ministry of Health," the petitioners said. They state that all of the above facts cause distrust in the National Institute of Public Health and personally in its head. Therefore, the intention to unite the National Institute with the center for the provision of services to HIV-infected people infected with tuberculosis and viral hepatitis will lead to the fact that the system will collapse, an increase in the cost of drug purchases is likely, and supply disruptions are possible. There is a risk that qualified specialists will leave, the connection with donor organizations will be destroyed.

The applicants ask the country's leadership to protect the center from attacks by Zharkynbek Kassymbekov, stressing that this harms the entire service for providing services to patients with HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis.

Note that the number of HIV cases in the Kyrgyz Republic remains stable and is mainly determined by high-risk groups. But in most countries of the world it is decreasing.