Clinton Foundation Signs Agreement With Ukraine To Scale Up Country’s Fight Against HIV/AIDS
Former President Clinton on Sunday signed an agreement with Ukrainian Health Minister Yuri Poliachenko under which the Clinton Foundation will help the country scale up its fight against HIV/AIDS, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports (Bellaby, AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 11/27). The agreement will expand the role of the foundation in Ukraine and includes establishing a training and mentoring program for HIV/AIDS clinicians, improving the country's drug procurement process and increasing HIV-positive injection drug users' access to care and treatment programs (Clinton Foundation release, 11/27). The Ukrainian government and the Clinton Foundation in 2004 signed an agreement giving the country access to the foundation's reduced-price antiretroviral drugs and diagnostics (Ukrainian News, 11/28). Some HIV/AIDS experts estimate that about 1% of Ukraine's population, or 500,000 people, are living with HIV, according to the AP/Post-Intelligencer. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has made curbing the disease a focus of his administration amid fears over the epidemic's effects on the country's economy (AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 11/27). Yushchenko earlier this month announced the creation of a committee on AIDS, tuberculosis and drug addiction in the country, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov (Interfax, 11/27).
This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.