Dear friends,
In this week’s update, we look at
disproportionate cancer rates among Roma women in Hungary
and the high cost of AIDS medicines for patients in Russia. The Open Society
Foundations are supporting efforts to address both problems.
We are also pleased to welcome you to the new Facebook page
for the Open Society Public Health Program. Remember to “Like” us and join the
conversation on health and human rights issues worldwide.
Paul Silva
psilva@sorosny.org
Follow me on Twitter: @PauloNYC
Give Roma Women an Equal Chance
Against Cancer
In Hungary, Roma women are three times
more likely to die from cancer as their non-Roma counterparts. Yet 90 percent
of these cases could be cured if detected in time and treated appropriately.
The Open Society Foundations are supporting the Equal Chances Against Cancer
Campaign to provide breast cancer screening for thousands of Roma women across Hungary. Find out more.
Russian Patients Demand Cheaper AIDS
Drugs
Russia saw a rare feat in health care this month: When patient
advocates called for less expensive HIV treatment, one drug manufacturer
responded by cutting the price in half. But the cost is still more than double
what Russia
paid in 2010 for similar medicines, and prices for other necessary HIV drugs
have yet to be lowered. Read the blog and tell Big Pharma to stop putting profits before patients.
What We're Reading
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