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Estonia: New Free AIDS Clinic
to be Dedicated in Narva
Nov. 13
The Linda HIV Foundation, founded by AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Estonian Network of People Living with HIV, will cut the ribbon on a new state-of-the-art HIV treatment clinic in Narva, Estonia, Friday, Nov. 13.
November 12, 2015 - NARVA, Estonia - (BUSINESS WIRE) - The Linda HIV Foundation will officially open its clinic in Narva on Friday, Nov. 13, at 11:00 a.m. The Linda Clinic provides free HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care in an ongoing effort to control the HIV epidemic in Narva.
The Deputy Mayor for Social and Health issues of Narva, Tatiana Patsanovskaya, will attend the ceremony of the Linda Clinic opening in Narva to cut the ribbon and officially open the new facility, together with the Head of the Linda HIV Foundation Management Board, Anna Zakowicz, and Dr. Aime Keis, Chief Medical Officer of the Ida-Viru Central Hospital. Key Estonian officials, international guests, AHF Europe and EPHV team members will get a tour of the new clinic and will have an opportunity to talk to care providers and clients.
The clinic is centrally located in the town of Narva in northeast Estonia, on the border of the European Union. The population of the municipality has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the EU, estimated as high as 4%. The new clinic will fulfill a great need for early detection of HIV infection, linkage to care, expert treatment and support.
“We listened to the people of Narva, who asked for a clinic like the Linda Clinic,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, commenting on the occasion of the upcoming opening. “The Linda Clinic in Narva is a shining example of fighting for what is right and not giving up.”
“This collaborative clinic model will have a transformative effect on how HIV care is delivered in Europe. In our global fight against AIDS, the focus is usually on the developing countries, but there are still major gaps in Europe that need to be addressed if we are to get AIDS under control – The Linda Clinic is a big step in that direction,” said Terri Ford, AHF Chief of Global Advocacy and Policy.
“It is a privilege to partner with the Estonian Network of People Living with HIV and the Ida-Viru Central Hospital and to take part in the dedication of this new clinic today,” said Zoya Shabarova, AHF Europe Bureau Chief. “This facility will offer rapid HIV testing, linkage to care, comprehensive care and treatment of HIV/AIDS through antiretroviral medication, management of opportunistic infections, laboratory services, and social and psychological support. It is a much-needed resource, and one that we hope will go a long way in helping to address and combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Narva.”
On behalf of people living with HIV in Estonia, Director of EPHV Latsin Alijev said, “The Linda Clinic is helping clients from the key affected populations to receive services in a stigma-free environment, overcome challenges related to linkage to care and retention, and as a result contributes to the control of the HIV epidemic in Estonia. I am thankful to all our partners and friends for their support in making this Clinic a reality.”
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About AHF
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider in the USA. AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to over 495,000 individuals in 36 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, Eastern Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @AIDSHealthcare .
Contacts
For AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Uko Urbe
Media relations officer in Tallinn
+372 56 456728
or
Linda HIV Foundation
Anna Zakowicz
Head of the Management Board
+31 6 28744655
"Reproduced with permission - AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)"
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
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