THE INVOLVEMENT OF ROMANIAN
PLWHA
ORGANIZATIONS
IN PROMOTING AND DEFENDING THE
ROMANIAN PACIENTS` RIGHTS
National Union of Organizations of
Persons Affected by HIV /AIDS
It is the only federation in Romania formed by organizations of
persons affected by HIV / AIDS, focusing on advocacy for
promoting and protecting the rights of people infected and
affected by HIV / AIDS in Romania.
UNOPA is a federation which brings together 22 PLWHA
organizations from 17 counties plus Bucharest and has over
1,500 PLWHA within the member organizations.
SHORT HISTORY:
-UNOPA was established in the year 2000 from the necessity
to make better known the problems of HIV positive people in
Romania, by uniting into a federation several associations of
parents and HIV positive people.
Situation of HIV positive people in 2000:
- lack of antiretroviral treatment;
-the number of deaths among HIV positive persons was very
high;
- HIV infected children were rejected from school and
discriminated both by teachers and by colleagues;
- HIV positive adults lost their jobs or faced discrimination from
the employers, etc.
Since 2000 until present day, UNOPA defended and promoted
the rights of HIV infected children, young people and adults
and the rights of their families.
UNOPA fought for:
- Access to free antiretroviral treatment continuously and nondiscriminatory
- Equal access to medical services;
- An adequate social system to the needs of people infected /
affected by HIV/AIDS and the appropriate psychosocial
support;
- The right to nondiscrimination and social inclusion
- The right to education and socio-professional integration
Since its constitution UNOPA assumed to be the voice for the
HIV positive people in Romania, primarily fighting for access
to treatment for all the HIV positive people. Starting with 2002,
access to treatment was assured, all the HIV positive people
who qualify according to The Treatment Guide receive free
treatment.
The second step in UNOPA`s activity was to assure a legal
framework that would protect the rights of HIV positive people
in Romania. In 2002 the 584 Bill was adopted and it assures
protection against discrimination and stigma, towards access
to education, work, social integration for the PLWHA.
Also in 2002 National Commission for Surveillance, Control
and Prevention of the HIV/AIDS Infection Cases was
constituted, a national body that would coordinate all the
efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Within this committee
UNOPA had the title of Vice-president since the beginning,
having an important role in its activity.
UNOPA`s fight continued, the next step was obtaining an
adequate social protection for the PLWHA in Romania.
Following the numerous interventions to the authorities, the
PLWHA in Romania benefit today, besides treatment, of many
rights granted by the social protection system, that improve
significantly the quality of life for the PLWHA in Romania.
Type of Activities Run by the PLWHA Organizations:
- Social services providers for the HIV infected people and
also for their communities.
- primary psychosocial counseling, professional counseling,
assistance in obtaining their rights, legal information, support
for PLWHA.
- informing and educating the community about HIV/AIDS.
- organizing lobby and advocacy campaigns
promoting and defending the rights of PLWHA.
towards
- permanent monitoring of the rights of PLWHA at local level.
- Take action in order to solve the problems at the local level.
- Inform UNOPA about the local problems and UNOPA
forwards them to the national responsible authorities.
- Information within schools, penitentiaries, clubs etc.
-1st December campaigns, public events for bringing the
HIV/AIDS problem to the attention of the community, massmedia etc.
UNOPA is founding member of the Coalition of Organizations of
Patients with Chronic Diseases in Romania.
The Coalition of Organizations of Patients with Chronic
Diseases in Romania (COPAC) is the biggest organization in
Romania that fights for promoting and defending patients`
rights, gathering within it 14 national organizations of patients
with chronic diseases including over 100 regional and local
organizations, which reprezent approximately 2,5 billion
pacients.
1. FEDERATION OF CANCER PATIENTS` ASSOCIATIONS IN ROMANIA
2. NATIONAL UNION OF ORGANIZATIONS OF PERSONS AFFECTED BY HIV
/AIDS (UNOPA)
3. FEDERATION OF DIABETES ASSOCIATIONS IN ROMANIA
4. ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH TRANSPLANTS IN ROMANIA
5. ROMANIAN NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR RARE DISEASES
6. ROMANIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HEMOPHILIACS
7. ASSOCIATION OF PACIENTS WITH HEPATIC AFFECTIONS IN ROMANIA APAH-RO
8. ROMANIAN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY
9. ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH THALASSEMIA MAJOR
10. ROMANIAN ASSOCIATION OF PATIENTS WITH MUSCULAR-SCHELETIC
AFFECTIONS
11. ANTIPARKINSON ASSOCIATION
12. FOUNDATION BAYLOR BLACK SEA
13. ROMANIAN OSTOMY ASSOCIATION
14. ROMANIAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH INFLAMMATORY DISEASES
• COPAC has shortly become a very active presence in
the fight for promoting and defending the rights of the
patients with chronic diseases in Romania, actively
militating in the relation with the authorities for
representation in the decision making committees from
the Ministry of Health and The National Insurance
House, for a real consultation with the patients regarding
the health policies and programmes, for ensuring quality
services for all patients, for assuring treatment for as
many patients as possible on each pathology, for an
adequate budgeting of the National Programmes
considering the real needs of the patients.
THANK YOU!
www.unopa.ro
www.copac.ro
unopa@unopa.ro
copac@copac.ro
004 021 319 93 29