HIV-positive children in Romania: An interview with Dr. Rodica Matusa

Dr. Matusa is currently the President of the Speranta Association, which is the first HIV/AIDS NGO founded in Romania and based in Constanta. With the will to give more visibility and raise awareness of the situation in Romania, Dr. Matusa gives in this interview a brief review of the challenges faced to respond to the largest paediatric epidemic in Europe. Despite (not to all) access to treatment, there are still many problems that remain and these children who are just entering their young adult life will need as much as ever a true mobilization in order to receive the appropriate and comprehensive care needed.

Between 1987 and 1990, children were the group which was specifically affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Romania? Could you explain how that happened?

Indeed there was an extremely large group of children who got infected through horizontal transmis sion. Most of these infections hap20 pened by injections or transfusions. This left Romania with a large popu lation of HIV-positive children, at one time being half of all the children in Europe infected with HIV.

What were some of the challenges in working mostly with children?

In the beginning there were many problems, first of all the lack of information as well as specialists in the field. Along with the lack of medicine or food for all those that needed to be treated. There were between 300-400 children abandoned in both hospitals and orphanages across the county. Those who were abandoned also had to face discrimination from the community that was scared to treat or even accept them.

Most of these problems went away in the early 90’s but currently the high prices of antirretrovirales make it difficult to provide treatment for all; there are nearly 1000 children in Constanta county alone who are currently being treated.

What is missing in the current standard needed to care and treat children and young adults in Romania?

The list is long. First of all the providing of adequate food and medical support; antiretroviral combination therapies of 3-4 drugs with constant lab monitoring of viral load, CD4 counts and adherence levels. Along with the treatment of opportunistic infections and immune therapy.

What has changed in Romania in comparison to when the epidemic first started and now?

There is now a National Commission Against AIDS that elaborates plans of action to fight the epidemic, expressing the will that there is in the government to face the challenge. But unfortunately, will alone does not produce results. The constant lack of a lot of produce results. The constant lack of funds for both treatment and prevention programs hinders the benefits from these programs.

What do you feel is most needed in Romania to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the future?

In the coming years we will have a lot of infected young adults who will be entering into their sexual life and along with non-infected young people they need more information and constant bombarding of prevention methods. In addition there are infected children who may soon (because of lack of funding) be abandoned to a life on the streets. Therefore greatly decreasing their life span and also increase the risk of infection. These children need to be cared for so that they can be helped to lead independent and successful lives.

The Speranta Association
The Speranta Association was founded to help with the care of HIV infected children in Constanta County and to provide education and counselling on HIV/AIDS. The projects and programs were conducted in collaboration with various foreign NGOs and universities. The projects focused on a range of items such as medical assistance, antiretroviral therapy, legal provisions in HIV/AIDS, integration of orphaned or abandoned HIV infected children in families and the setting up of family-type houses.

In the future the group would like to focus on education in the community (in schools, universities, city halls, Police Departments, with groups at risk, etc.), and continuing to support the family-type houses, which are organized not unlike small farms, and preparing HIV infected young adults for processional integration and for leading an independent life. For more information, you can contact Dr. Matusa at rodica.matusa@asperanta.

Charles David McCarthy

EATN - European AIDS Treatment News, Volume 13, I – Spring 2005

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