Public Appeal to the Government of The Republic of Estonia
We call upon the Estonian Government to live up to your commitments made in the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS in the Special Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2001 and the UNGASS + 5 Political Declaration of 2006, with respect to the commitment to the Universal Access to prevention, treatment, care and support.
PUBLIC APPEAL TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA
Andrus Ansip, Prime Minister
Juhan Parts, Minister of Economic Affairs and Comminications
Rein Lang, Minister of Education and Research
Jaak Aaviksoo, Minister of Justice
Jaan Tankivi, Minister of the Environmet
Urmas Paet, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ivari Padar, Minister of Finance
Vallo Reimaa, Minister of Regional Affairs
Maret Maripuu, Minister of Social Affairs
Urve Palo, Minister
We call upon the Estonian Government to live up to your commitments made in the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS in the Special Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2001 and the UNGASS + 5 Political Declaration of 2006, with respect to the commitment to the Universal Access to prevention, treatment, care and support. We call upon the Estonian Government to demonstrate the leadership you claim to hold by taking clear steps now to fulfill the hope you have given to people in your country.
We, members of civil society organizations, unions, leaders and individuals against HIV and AIDS from different countries, strongly support our colleagues from the Estonia NGO Coalition in their Appeal regarding the continuation of services for people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.
This is not only a matter of solidarity; this is a part of universal fight for basic human rights and patients right all over the world. And we stress the need for your full support in order to guarantee universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support on HIV and AIDS in Estonia.
Lack of commitment by the Estonian Government concerning the fight against HIV and AIDS means endangering an entire generation of adolescents and young people. The reduction of financial resources for treatment will leave hundreds of young people to the mercy of fate, ignores the alarming situation of different social groups who need social support and services and intensifies the stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV.
Continuous treatment is not only a requirement for the effective management of HIV and AIDS, it also improves the quality of life for people living with HIV and gives them an opportunity to be full members of the community. Continuous treatment prevents the possibility of the appearance of the resistance forms of the virus and is universally accepted as key to effective prevention strategies.
The reduction by the Estonian Government of its financial and moral commitment to its 2008 pledge of access to treatment and services for people living with HIV and AIDS undermines the possibility of achieving the Millennium Development Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases and stopping the spread of HIV by 2015.
The reduction of financing for HIV prevention and treatment today will lead to repeated and vastly increased costs from all parts of the community in the future. The World Bank, UNAIDS, The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, European Union and others acknowledge that investment in HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services is critical to any effective economic strategy.
As Civil Society organizations, unions, leaders and individuals we write and demonstrate our commitment to be part of the solution in partnership with Estonia. We count on you to keep your promises!
Here is the list of the signatory organizations:
| Country | Organization |
| Armenia | NGO “Real world, real people |
| Azerbaijan | Public organization on AIDS fight |
| Belgium | AIDS Action Europe |
| European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) | |
| Fédération Laïque des Centres de Planning Familial ( FLCPF) | |
| IPPF European Network | |
| Brazil | Associacao Brasileira Interdisciplinar de AIDS (ABIA) |
| Bulgaria | Bulgarian Red Cross |
| "Dose of love" Association | |
| "Positive Personal Skills in Society" Foundation | |
| Association Roma women and children | |
| Association Youth Club "Roma - Stolipinovo | |
| Better Menthl Health Fondation | |
| Branch of Kyustendil | |
| Foundasion for regional development "Roma - Plovdiv" | |
| Foundation Perspectivi | |
| Health and Social Development Foundation (HESED) | |
| Byelorussia | Byelorussian public union “Positive Movement |
| Canada | Canadian Treatment Action Council |
| International Council of AIDS Service Organizations - ICASO | |
| Czech | Czech AIDS Help Society |
| Denmark | STOP AIDS - Gay Men's HIV Organisation |
| HivEurope | |
| NordPol, The Nordic umbrella network of PLWHA-organisations | |
| The Danish AIDS Foundation | |
| Finland | Pro-tukipiste (supports and promotes the civil and human rights of individuals involved in sex) |
| The SEXPO Foundation | |
| A-Clinic Foundation | |
| Division of Infectious Diseases, Helsinki University Central Hospital | |
| Family Federation | |
| Finnish Association for Nurses in AIDS Care | |
| Finnish HIV network | |
| Global Social Work Finland | |
| Pro-tukipiste | |
| SETA - Sexual Equality | |
| The Family Federation | |
| The Finnish Aids Council | |
| The Finish Body Positive Association | |
| Unit of the HIV unit for the National Public Health Institute | |
| France | AIDES |
| Germany | The Ethno-Medical Centre in Hannover |
| Guyana | Amelia’s Ward Family Outreach Centre |
| For the Kids Foundation | |
| Guyana Human Rights Association | |
| Hands of Love | |
| National AIDS Committee | |
| Network of Guyanese Living with & HIV | |
| Kazakhstan | Kazakhstan’s Union of PLWH |
| Kenya | Positive Families Network (+fN) |
| Tuberculosis Patients Self Help Group | |
| Ambassadors of Change(PLHAs) | |
| Kyrgyzstan | PCF “Positive initiative” |
| Latvia | AGIHAS |
| Lithuania | CEEHRN |
| Central and Eastern European Harm Reduction | |
| Network | |
| AIDS Action Europe/ Eastern Office | |
| Association “Pozityvus gyvenimas” | |
| Moldova | League of PLWH of Republic Moldova |
| Soros Foundation – Moldova, Public Health Program | |
| Mongolia | Pervjav Positive Life |
| Nepal | National Association of PLWHA in Nepal (NAP+N) |
| Norway | Norwegian Association for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights – NSRR |
| Poland | ASTRA - Central and Eastern European Women's Network for Sexual and Reprodactive Health and Rights |
| Polish National Network of PLWHA "SIEC PLUS" | |
| Reproductive Health and Rights | |
| Social AIDS Committee | |
| SOCIAL AIDS COMMITTEE (Społeczny Komitet ds. AIDS - SKA) | |
| Portugal | Grupo Português de Activistas sobre Tratamentos de VIH/SIDA (GAT) |
| Russia | Russian Harm Reduction Network (RHRN) |
| Serbia | JAZAS |
| Yugoslav Youth Association against AIDS – Youth of JAZAS | |
| Slovenia | SKUC-Magnus |
| Sweden | HIV-Sweden (The Swedish Association for HIV-Positive People) |
| Switzerland | AIDS-Hilfe Schweitz (Swiss Aids Federation) |
| Aids-Hilfe Schweiz (Swiss Aids Federation) | |
| LHIVE | |
| Organisation of people living with HIV and AIDS | |
| Tajikistan | NGO GULI SURKH |
| The Netherlands | AIDS Action Europe |
| Correlation Network | |
| European Youth Network on Sexual and Reproductive Rights | |
| STA AIDS The Netherland and AIDS Funds | |
| TAMPEP International Foundation | |
| World AIDS Campaign | |
| Youth Incentives, International Programme on Sexuality by Rutgers Nisso Groep | |
| UK | ICW – International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS |
| TB Survival Project, London | |
| UK Ukrainian AIDS Response | |
| Ukraine | All-Ukrainian Network of PLWH |
| Eastern European & Central Asian Union of PLWH | |
| Uzbekistan | Public Association of People Living with HIV and Their Close Ones "ISHONCH VA HAYOT" ("HOPE AND LIVE") |
| Public union of PLWH “Ishonch va Hayot” | |
| Venezuela | LACCASO - ACCSI |
| International | ITPC (International Treatment Preparedness Coalition) |
| INDIVIDUALS | |
| Finland | Iida Pirilä |
| NORA (National Officer on Reproductive health including Aids), | |
| FiMSIC (Finnish Medical Students' International Committee) | |
| Anna-Maija Strömberg | |
| Direktor, Service Center for HIV positive drug users | |
| Helsinki deaconess Institute | |
| Maj-Lis Vänskä, Master of Health Sciences, lecturer Helsinki Polytechnic Stadia | |
| Mika Salminen, | |
| Head of HIV laboratory National Public Health Institute, The Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology (INFE), HIV laboratory, Finland | |
| Esa Rintala, M.D. | |
| Department of Infectious Diseases | |
| Satakunta Central Hospital" | |
| Birgitta Rantakari | |
| Director of International Affairs at Helsinki Deaconess Institute | |
| Chairperson of Finnish HIV network | |
| Chairperson of Churches United against AIDS and HIV in Southern and Eastern Africa – network" | |
| Anneli Milen, Senior expert, PhD | |
| STAKES – National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Finland | |
Read the related article: Estonia: A budget-freeze aimed at social needs for 2008