At the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, there was a discussion on arguments ‘for’ and ‘against’ substitution maintenance therapy

January 20, 2010, a Round Table to discuss substitution maintenance therapy was held at the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. The discussion was initiated by the All-Ukrainian Association of NGOs “Movement Against Drug Addiction and Drug Crimes” and was held on the instructions of Valeriy Bidnyi, Deputy Minister of Health.

The Round Table was held for the purpose to discuss issues, related with SMT, with the public that had conducted protest meetings in front of the office of the International Renaissance Foundation and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine on January 11 and 12, 2010. The meeting took place in the format of open discussion between supporters and opponents of SMT program in Ukraine.

The Round Table took place with participation of officials, who were represented by the following:

• Leadership of the Committee to Counteract HIV/AIDS, TB and other socially dangerous diseases – Cherenko S.O., Yeshchenko O.G.;
• Chief Narcologist of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine – Viyevsky A.M.;
• Director of the Ukrainian Center to Prevent and Fight AIDS of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine – Nizova N.M.;
• Representative of the Administration on Provision of Cooperation with the State Department of Ukraine for Execution of Sentences of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine – Oliynyk Yu. V.;
• Head of Administration of Organization of Health Protection of the State Department of Ukraine for Execution of Sentences – Vychavka O.S.

Supporters of SMT programs were represented by international and All-Ukrainian NGOs:

• Mirzakhid Sultanov – United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); Kostyantyn Dumchev – World Health Organization;
• Serhiy Filippovych and Pavlo Scala – ICF “International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine”;
• Olena Kucheruk – International Renaissance Foundation;
• Tamara Tretska – Ukrainian Institute on Public Health Policy;
• Olga Belyayeva – All-Ukrainian NGO “Association of Participants of Substitution Maintenance Therapy of Ukraine”;
• Serhiy Rudyi – All-Ukrainian Network of PLWH;
• Valentyna Mostova – Kyiv Oblast Charitable Foundation “Hope and Trust”.

“Movement Against Drug Addiction and Drug Crimes”  was represented by Kravchenko V.M., Gannokha L.A., Kushniruk S.M. and Mkrtchyan M.V.

The meeting was supported by patients of SMT programs and they gave their speeches to protect the right for getting effective and appropriate treatment.

It was obvious that opponents of SMT programs in Ukraine did not provide really substantiated positions, which would have been supported by statistical and scientific data and also data of evidence-based medicine. However, it is worth to note that during the meeting many joint positions were emphasized, especially the ones, related to the fact that SMT programs and rehabilitation programs are actually parts of the joint process of treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts and, therefore, they have to supplement and not exclude each other.

The discussion went rather emotionally, but its participants managed to reach meaningful agreements.

In particular, the resolution of the meeting included the following issues:

• To continue working on preparation of an inter-departmental order regarding procedure for provision of uninterrupted SMT treatment for patients who are kept at detention centers, pre-trial detention centers and places of confinement. To ensure participation of corresponding representatives of the State Department of Ukraine for Execution of Sentences, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, for development and approval of this order.
• To jointly prepare a national program to prevent and overcome consequences of drug use in Ukraine, to provide the program for open public discussion and provide it for responsible parties and institutions to make their decision regarding the program.
• To stop unsupported accusations regarding opponents of the discussion. Statistical, scientific data and data of evidence-based medicine must be used in providing arguments either “for” or “against”.
• To request the All-Ukrainian Network of PLWH and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine to generalize experience of rehabilitation centers in places of confinement, with these centers being supported by these organizations, for the purpose of use of worked-out models in further work.