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Ensuring access to health care for haemophilia and hepatitis C patients in Ukraine

Written declaration No. 544 | Doc. 13250 | 11 October 2013

Signatories:
Mr Jim DOBBIN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Volodymyr ARIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Lennart AXELSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Gerard BARCIA DUEDRA, Andorra, SOC ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET, Andorra, SOC ; Ms Viola von CRAMON-TAUBADEL, Germany, SOC ; Ms Andreja ČRNAK MEGLIČ, Slovenia, SOC ; Mr David DAVIES, United Kingdom, EDG ; Alexander [The Earl of] DUNDEE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Baroness Margaret EATON, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Terence FLANAGAN, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Ms Iryna GERASHCHENKO, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Andrzej HALICKI, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Gediminas JAKAVONIS, Lithuania, ALDE ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Ms Olena KONDRATIUK, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Ertuğrul KÜRKÇÜ, Turkey, UEL ; Ms Orinta LEIPUTĖ, Lithuania, SOC ; Mr John PRESCOTT, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Serhiy SOBOLEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Luca VOLONTÈ, Italy ; Dame Angela WATKINSON, United Kingdom, EDG

On 16 June 2013, The Ukrainian Parliament adopted the State Budget which allocates only 3,2% of GDP to health-care services. Such a limited budget for health care can have disastrous consequences for haemophilia and hepatitis C patients living in Ukraine, by depriving them of access to quality care, including preventive care. As a result, these patients whose number amounts to 2 625 for haemophilia and to 22 000 for hepatitis C, risk serious health problems that may eventually lead to their death.

Having regard to the right to life enshrined in Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and the right to protection of health enshrined in Article 11 of the European Social Charter (revised); we call on:

  • the Ukrainian Parliament to review its position on the budget allocation to health-care services in view of these human rights considerations;
  • the Ukrainian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly to invite their colleagues in the Parliament to do so as soon as possible;
  • the committee of Ministers to engage urgently with the Ukrainian authorities, with a view to ensuring that Ukraine upholds its obligations deriving from the Council of Europe treaties it is a Party to.