Names

“I felt, that they were not just names and numbers: - Kate, 30 years or Ann, 2 years. All these names– are real people and these colorful quilts are the reminder about that awful problem that we need to stop” – these words of Denis Sylantev, Olympic Champion, started TV program of one of the national TV-channels on May,13th. Mykhailivska Square all covered with quilts impressed not only journalists and event participants but also people walking around the square.

On the International AIDS Memorial Day Ukraine joined the International Movement “Names”. On this day Mykhailivska Square in Kyiv was covered with a huge Quilt with the total area of 300 square meters. This quilt was sewed from the pieces from all over Ukraine. It was a symbol of sorrow and a big tragedy that took the lives of more than 21,000 Ukrainians. Members of the All-Ukrainian Network of PLWH and other HIV-positive people and volunteers reflected their memories about their friends or relatives who died of AIDS on these quilts. That’s why these memorial quilts were so touching and showed that AIDS can touch any life regardless of age, sex, nationality and lifestyle.

“AIDS takes lives of 8 Ukrainians daily. The worst thing is that we are losing the young generation-our country’s future because the majority of people who died of AIDS are young people among 25-49 years of age” – said Liliya Pidkopaeva Olympic Champion, UN Goodwill Ambassador on AIDS in Ukraine at the press-briefing at the event.

One of the main reasons of so many deaths in Ukraine is the total ignorance of the HIV/AIDS problem by the state officials and the lack of finance in purchasing the ARV-therapy in Ukraine. Among 92,000 people that need treatment in Ukraine today only 22,000 receives it. The rest of people are dying because the government can’t purchase medicines for these people.

“Providing all patients who need treatment with the ARV-therapy is the state duty established by the Ukrainian law which is being ignored. Results of this state policy we can see here, today, at the Mykhailivska Square - thousands of lives of our friends and relatives who paid their own lives for this state inactivity. HIV-positive people will continue dying if the government doesn’t find 5,13 grn. daily for their treatment” – said Volodymyr Zhovtyak, Head of the Coordination Council of the All-Ukrainian Network of PLWH.

 

Besides Kyiv there were also events in 35 regional cities. The main accent of all events was the lack of the ARV-therapy in Ukraine.

A protest action “Our Lives – Our Responsibility” took place in Poltava where activists gathered at the Regional Governmental Administration building to attract the attention to the lack of medicines for people who stay in the ambulatory at the regional AIDS center. Concerts were held in Kharkov, Donetsk, Cherkassy and Khmelnitsky to attract the attention of young people. Besides it the biggest street ball tournament took place in Kharkiv to show the young generation the great alternative of sports and healthy lifestyle.

Mobile labs with express tests worked in all cities where different mass events took place. “Live Libraries” were working in 7 cities providing consultations on HIV/AIDS for all people.

 

 

Mobile labs with express tests worked in all cities where different mass events took place. “Live Libraries” were working in 7 cities providing consultations on HIV/AIDS for all people.

The event was widely covered by Mass Media. 10 national TV-channels (Inter, First National, Novyi Channel, Channel 5, STB) covered the event. Besides it the event was a great interest to the international Mass Media – Reuters, AP, France Press, Chinese Informational Agency. 18 radio stations broadcasted about this day all over Ukraine. More 150 photo reportages and articles covered the event. The Network attracted the attention of more than 21 million Ukrainians to this event and problem.

Moreover the most important thing was that Networks representatives and regional coordinators were the main speakers at the event. It helped to bring up the problem from the PLWH point of view.