Greek experts warn of negative impact of austerity on HIV prevention

Marking the World AIDS Day on Tuesday Greek experts warned over the possible impact of the austerity cutbacks in healthcare spending in the trend of HIV infections in debt-laden Greece.

The latest statistics for 2015 were encouraging showing that the infection rates remained steady compared to 2014, Marios Lazanas, President of the Greek Society of AIDS Research and Therapy said during a medical conference in Athens.

By the end of this year scientists expected that about 850 new cases of HIV carriers will be reported.

However, the experts warned that the image may radically change in coming years due to the continuous cutbacks in healthcare spending since the start of the debt crisis in late 2009.

The scientists noted that public hospital units involved in efforts to prevent the further spread of the virus and the treatment of carriers and patients were underfunded and understaffed.

Necessary medicines were in shortage and basic check-ups for HIV carriers were not performed due to lack of funding.

According to a recent survey of the Greek National School of Public Health, the annual cost for the treatment of HIV carriers in Greece stands on average at approximately 6,500 euros (6,896 U.S. dollars) per person, they noted.

Theodoros Peppas, a doctor specializing in AIDS treatment, stressed that on strictly economic terms the adequate and effective medical aid to AIDS patients would be far more beneficial than the current cutbacks to the healthcare system in the long term, since it will reduce the possibilities of further spread of the virus. Endit