The presidential administration detained Patient Control activists

The presidential administration was detained by eight members of the Patient Control movement, which conducted the action "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" in protest against the inaccessibility of drugs for the treatment of HIV in Russia. This was reported on the blog of movement. The detainees were delivered to OP "Kitay-Gorod".

As the ATS-Info later transferred to the activists issued protocols under part 5 of Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (violation at a mass event), which does not provide for arrest, and then released. At the same time, the considerations of cases were assigned to the places of residence of activists, although usually in such cases the protocols are sent to the court of the district, the jurisdiction of which includes the place where the action took place (in this case this is the Tver district court of Moscow).

The performance was dedicated to the Day of Memory of Memory of People who died from AIDS. "The participants in the action depicted the largest distribution companies waiting even more money from the government, and doomed patients with shackles on the neck," the press release says. It is the distributors, according to activists, that are guilty of the inaccessibility of drugs, since they overstate the prices of drugs and dictate their conditions for doctors.

According to official estimates, in Russia about 175 thousand HIV-infected people receive full antiretroviral therapy. However, the number of people in need of such therapy is at least twice as many. “Due to high prices, AIDS centers simply cannot provide all those in need with drugs, their hands are connected,” said Andrei Skvortsov, an activist of “patient control”. “The budget for HIV is fixed, and the number of patients who need to start taking medications for medical reasons is constantly growing.”

Social activists referred to the coalition data on readiness for treatment, according to which in 2014 more than half of the drugs for the treatment of HIV infection went up compared to 2013. It was also noted that sometimes reproduced drugs (generics) are delivered at higher prices than the original ones.

"Without rigid regulation by the state and government, distribution companies will dictate their conditions, depriving patients with hope for recovery," Skvortsov said. Participants of the action transferred a letter to the AP with an appeal, among other measures, to issue a decision that regulates the prices of generics and issue forced licenses for expensive patented drugs.