Belgorod-Dnestrovski is ready to open the program of replacement therapy.

The participants of the working group that gathered on December 14 in frames of the pilot project “The Sustainability of the HIV Services” – have declared the model of the co-financing of the replacement therapy project that is up to start in 2017. Now, the patients will pay only half of the price of the medications, replacing severe injection drugs. The other half will be paid by the government (10000 ghr was donated by the government).

Working group consisted of the consultants of the pilot project, representatives of the government and the hospitals of the city. Iliya Podolyan, the therapist and the consultant of the project had introduced the co-financing model of the project to the working group. He pointed that the research showed that the injecting drug users stated that they would prefer the co-financing model of the replacement therapy. 88 % percent of the responders supported the co-financing in Belgorod-Dnestrovski. “Our researches showed that the replacement therapy will improve the criminal situation in the region, especially in the field of drug dealing in the city and the region. Apart from this, the number of drug users will start decreasing, since many of them would prefer to switch into the co-funded replacement therapy, rather than keep using injected drugs and being in the risk-group for HIV. Also, it is important for them that the price of the price of the medications is less than the price of the drugs, ”- Iliya stated in his speech.
The participants of the meeting came to the conclusion that the 50×50 financing model will be the most sufficient for the present period of time. Half of the price will be paid by the patient, the other half will be donated from the local budget. The medicine can be received only by prescription in the special pharmacies of the city.
The members of the working group also have kept the model of 100 percent payment of the patient as a second working model – to be prepared. Iliya Podolyan expressed gratitude to the state officials for the support of the replacement therapy program, saying that this model will help to solve many problems in the region.
Tatyana Sibirtseva, the head of the city Health Department has also noted that the implementation of the replacement therapy is an unavoidable step for the city, since it will decrease the risks of further spreading of the HIV infection. She has also pointed that the main factor that was postponing the project was the lack of the main narcologist of the city. “The city needs its own narcologist who would take this direction of work on oneself. The city administration will provide the accommodation for him”.
Also she stated that before the pilot project “Sustainability of HIV services” the city was not prepared for this big projects and changes in frames of the HIV prevention and the replacement therapy model. She expressed gratitude to the consultants of the project for the great support to the city health situation, clarification of the problem and for showing the perspectives of this work.