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Issue 16, August 2006
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Welcome to issue sixteen of  ,
the monthly newsletter from the MSD Interpharma HIV Team.
Despite its high-tech outlook on life and its booming tourist industry, Estonia is battling one of the fastest evolving HIV epidemics in Europe; an epidemic which is spreading at 10 times the rate of most Western European countries. It also has the highest adult HIV prevalence in Europe, at 1.1%.
While HIV is an emerging crisis for the whole country, many of those affected are of the marginalized and unassimilated Russian community in the north-east of the country, marooned within Estonia's borders after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Often without citizenship, employment or access to government health care or health insurance, the circumstances of a group that was once a socio-political headache is fast becoming an urgent health and economic issue for the whole country, and for its neighbors.
Many HIV experts feel that the emerging crisis is underestimated in the general public but a number of dedicated Estonian NGOs are under no illusions that epidemic is serious business. Based in Tallinn and the north-eastern province of the country, they battle on a daily basis to mitigate drug-related harm and provide support to people living with HIV/AIDS, including high risk groups such as commercial sex workers and prisoners. Over the years these NGOs have built up a wealth of experience and forged good relationships with these most marginalized groups.
Some NGOs have managed to expand their activities thanks to international funding via the Ministry of Social Affairs (through the National Institute for Health Development). But with Estonia's entry into the EU, international funding will soon dry up and NGOs are nervously waiting to see how they will be able to function at all as well as work with the government once this occurs. This year, for the first time, 14 NGOs were asked to help the government put together its 2006-2015 Health Strategic Plan. But there is some concern amongst this group: in order for the process not to be mere window-dressing, there is some way to go to develop a truly participatory partnership.
To know more, click here.
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