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International AIDS Society Calls for an End to Harassment, Intimidation and Imprisonment of HIV Professionals
 3 September 2010 (Geneva, Switzerland) - Following the imprisonment of Maxim Popov
in April 2010, sentenced to 7 years jail primarily for the promotion of HIV prevention efforts in Uzbekistan, the International AIDS Society notes
with alarm the detention of a medial practitioner working in HIV prevention in Ukraine. Dr. Illya Podolyan, a 62-year old physician providing opioid substitution therapy (OST) for people using drugs, was
detained on 28 May 2010 by Odessa police and charged with alleged crimes relating to drugs trafficking.
"This arrest is yet another example of committed professionals being subjected to harassment, detention and even imprisonment as a consequence of implementing best practice
HIV prevention and care," commented Professor Elly Katabira, President of the IAS. "Implementing evidence-based responses should never be a crime, and this arrest is especially
disturbing in a country such as Ukraine, which has in recent times seen the start of a turn around in its HIV epidemic due to improved policies and the efforts of professionals such
as Dr Podolyan."
Substitution therapy is highly effective at reducing the spread of HIV in epidemic's such as Ukraine's which are fueled primarily by injecting drug use. Substitution treatment
programmes and the use of methadone and buprenorphine, drugs prescribed by Dr. Podolyan for his patients, are legal in Ukraine and are included in the National Programme for HIV Prevention,
Treatment, Care and Support for 2009-2013, approved by law in February 2009.
In practice, however, medical and other health personnel involved in providing substitution therapy are subject to criminal prosecution, harassment and intimidation.
Dr. Podolyan's arrest is unfortunately consistent with the systematic and widespread harassment of OST professionals and patients carried out by Ukrainian law enforcement officers across the country.
The IAS strongly urges the Ukrainian government to honour the guidelines of their National Programme for HIV Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support, to ensure better protection
for their HIV professionals and to urgently review the charges against Dr. Podolyan. Suffering from a number of medical conditions including chronic heart disease, cardiac failures and chronic
arthritis, Dr. Podolyan's health has deteriorated rapidly during his incarceration. As he poses no threat to public security while he awaits trial, the IAS also appeals for his urgent release
from custody.
"Dr. Illya Podolyan's detention, just before the XVIII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010) in Vienna, is a sad testament to the serious human rights violations which
continue to hamper HIV prevention and treatment efforts in Eastern Europe," said Dr. Katabira. "AIDS 2010 was held in Vienna to highlight the state of the epidemic in Eastern Europe
and Central Asia and to stress the need for a rational approach to drug policy in the region. While the attendance of over 1,200 participants from Eastern Europe and Central Asia during
the conference gives us real hope that policy makers are listening, the detention of Dr. Podolyan is a stark reminder of how far the region still has to go."
"As Dr. Podolyan is unable to receive the medical treatment he urgently requires while he is in custody, his imprisonment constitutes a violation to his individual human
right to health," said Mats Ahnlund, Acting Executive Director of the IAS. "Dr. Podolyan has been imprisoned for attempting to reverse his country's growing HIV epidemic through
providing services which are not only scientifically proven to reduce the spread of HIV amongst drug users, but also included in the country's national HIV programme. The Ukrainian
government should be doing everything it can to support these programmes and to acknowledge the critical role they play in the national response to HIV, rather than allowing the
persecution of those who implement them. I urge all influential political and public health leaders to join IAS in calling on the Ukrainian government, and on all other
governments who permit the harassment, vilification and unwarranted imprisonment of HIV professionals, to ensure better protection for those working on the frontline of the HIV epidemic."
Ends
About the IAS
The International AIDS Society (IAS) is the world's leading independent association of HIV professionals, with over 14 000 members from more than 190 countries working at all levels
of the global response to AIDS. Our members include researchers from all disciplines, clinicians, public health and community practitioners on the frontlines of the epidemic,
as well as policy and programme planners. The IAS is the custodian of the biennial International AIDS Conference, which was held in Vienna, Austria from in July 2010.
For more information:
Sian Bowen (Geneva, Switzerland)
Senior Manager, Communications
Email: Sian.Bowen@iasociety.org
Tel: +41 22 710 0864
Lindsey Rodger (Geneva, Switzerland)
Communications Assistant
Email: Lindsey.Rodger@iasociety.org
Tel: +41 22 710 0822
Reproduced with permission - "International AIDS Society (IAS)"
International AIDS Society (IAS)
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