The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria expects that fighting in Ukraine will lead to a sharp increase in the incidence of HIV and tuberculosis in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Fund, told Redaktions Netzwerk Deutschland (RND).
According to him, it is too early to talk about exact figures, but the fund expects that the developments in Ukraine will have a significant impact on the incidence of HIV and tuberculosis in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
«Mass migration, accommodation of refugees in cramped spaces and suspension of medical care contribute to the spread of infectious diseases,» the director of the Global Fund said.
He added that many Ukrainians have lost access to medical care and preventive and treatment programs have been suspended. «More than 150 medical facilities have been damaged or destroyed. Medical staff and patients have been forced to flee, some are injured or killed. This situation is especially dangerous for those with HIV and tuberculosis, whose lives depend on regular medication,» Peter Sands warns.
