Новини

Whether and how the National Program for HIV and TB Prevention in Bulgaria will continueafter the end of 2014 and how the NGO participation will be guaranteed? These were the main topics discussed by representatives of Ministry of Health and more than 40 organizations during working meeting that took place on July 22. The Ministry of Health was represented by Deputy minister Chavdar Slavov, d-r Tonka Varleva, Director of the Program and many experts. Representatives of Ministry of Labour and Agency for Social Assistance also took part in the meeting. Center Amalipe was represented by Deyan Kolev.

Deputy minister prof. Slavov presented the general picture of the policy for HIV prevention in Bulgaria. He stressed that the National program financed by the Global Fond is only one element from the picture. The state budget is fully engaged with the treatment of the cases of AIDS and for 2013 the budget for treatment was 12 mln. BGN, in 2014 – 15 mln. BGN, etc. The National Program for HIV and TB Prevention aims at prophylactics and discovering cases; the success of the Program is undisputable, stated prof. Slavov. The Ministry of Health will search ways to continue the Program, ensured prof. Slavov and asked Ministry of Labor and Agency for Social Assistance to contribute in this direction.

Tonka Varleva, MD presented numerous figures that proved the success of the program. She stressed the key role of the NGOs: they were sub-contracted at district level within all the components, they reached the most vulnerable groups and performed field work that could not be done by any institution.

Deputy-minister Slavov and Mrs. Varleva explained how the Ministry of Health is planning to search continuation:

- in the budget forecast of the Ministry of Health for 2015-17 is envisaged the annual amount of 800 000 BGN that will be outsourced to NGOs;

- Ministry of Health will ask the Global Fund for 1 year non-cost extension;

- a letter has been submitted to Agency for Social Assistance with suggestion Health and Social Centers and other services created within the Program to be licensed as social services – through the Social Assistance Act;

- a letter has been submitted to Ministry of labor as Managing Authority of Human Resources Development OP with request to provide funds for continuing the Program.

These suggestions provoked intensive discussion. Experts form Agency for Social Assistance opposed the idea to recognize the Health and Social Centers as social service. They agreed only with the suggestion to invite health NGOs in the working group that prepares the Social Assistance Act.

In his intervention Deyan Kolev pointed that this conversation was necessary 2 years ago since this is the minimal term to ensure the sustainability of any program. There is no doubt that the National Program for HIV Prevention is successful and it should continue.  Recognizing health-social and education-social services is an objective need since the real services are integrated. Nevertheless, this will not solve the problem  with the continuation of the program since the overall budget for social services in Bulgaria decreases and this  makes new social services practically impossible. Deyan Kolev stated also that the Human Resources Development OP most probably will not finance the National Program for HIV Prevention since the HRDOP is ready and submitted to European Commission on May 21. There are only few points linked with health care in HRD OP because of the passive behavior of Ministry of Health during the program preparation. As representative of Roma NGOs in the working group that prepared HRD OP I raised several times the question about health but the MoH representatives stayed passive, explained Kolev.  

He suggested the National Program for HIV Prevention to be included in the health care components of Swiss contribution or Norwegian Financial Mechanism in Bulgaria. The chance for this period is missed but since now we have to start advocating for the new period that starts since 2016. The “hole” of 2 or 3 years should be filled by the state budget. In addition, Ministry of Health could try to submit proposal with the 3th Health program of the European Commission or within the future Danube Program

The meeting ended with the conclusion that political will and concrete solution for continuing the National Program for HIV and TB Prevention in Bulgaria after 2014. That is why such a meeting should be organized also with the political figures in the new Bulgarian government after the general elections.