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Dominican activism awoke from its lethargy to demand antiretroviral medicine in front of the Ministry of Public Health amidst strong security measures of the institution.
Miranda Suero Corresponsales Clave.
Just days after the reorganization of the coalition of activists on HIV in Dominican Republic, a dense amount of mobilizations have taken place such as press conferences, meetings with the Minister of Health, Altagracia Guzman Marcelino, participation on TV programs and other actions, in order to position the topic of shortage of medicines that takes place in the country affecting thousands of people.
Asolsida activists attended the demonstration.
Other institutions have joined the call in several provinces of the country, taking the topic to the office of the senators in their areas, whereas others have collected signatures and even others, with some desperation have protested next to adults and children with HIV.
Yesterday, Wednesday October 26, there was a demonstration in front of the Ministry of Public Health to demand the disbursement of 105 million Dominican Pesos (around US$ 2 million) complementary to the budget that are still necessary to sustain the program until year end, that is, to pay the customs clearance of antiretroviral medicine and the debt outstanding with the private laboratory that supplies reagents for viral load, which has stopped the provision until the debt is settled.
Activists demanded the Ministry’s statement on the disbursement of necessary resources to ensure the supply of medicines.
In this decisive moment, support was provided by organizations and civil society representatives such as El Mesón de Dios, institution that welcomes drug users and the Fundación de Personas con Discapacidad Unidos en Igualdad, that do not work directly on HIV, which makes evident the impact of the situation in all spheres of the country. Several representatives from the media were also at the protest, listening to the population demands.
Regarding the Project of Income Budget and the Law for Public Expenditure 2017, approved by the government last September 28, the General Director of Budget, Luis Reyes Santos and the Minister of Economy Donald Guerrero reported with much joy that the health sector was allocated with an increase of 15 million Pesos. However, the fear is that such an increase will not be effective for the national response to HIV and that the same funding as in 2015 will be maintained.
The non-compliance of the disbursements and the interruption of the purchases of antiretroviral medicine and its distribution, put at risk the donation projects underway in the country, among which are those from the Global Fund to Fight Malaria, Tuberculosis and AIDS and PEPFAR, as they are supported under the commitment of compliance of the budgetary counterpart.
Dulce Almonte was one of the spokeswomen at the demonstration.
What is happening in Dominican Republic also violates Law 135-11 on HIV and AIDS, Law 1-12 on the National Strategy of Development, article 11 on Human Rights, the Global Strategy 90-90-90 and the recent regulations that seek the early beginning of the antiretroviral treatment.
During the demonstration, amidst cries and slogans alluding to the theme, the Health vice Minister offered to talk with a group representing the demonstrators. The request was denied by the activists claiming that they do not want verbal agreements but the signature of a document that commits the entity to respond to the demand. “We do not want to be cheated again as in the past, they want to silence us right now so the scandal is not made public, we are not interested to have a meeting with the vice minister”, said Dulce Almonte, well-known activist on the access to antiretroviral medicine.
The coalition has stated that they will continue their actions until there is a definite response and the needs of dozens of thousands Dominicans living with HIV are met.
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