In times of peace and in times of war: 100% LIFE outstanding work in Ukraine

© Gemma Taylor/Make Medicines Affordable

After two years of the worst pandemic in recent history, 2022 marked an extra tragic event in the history of human kind, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, adding one more humanitarian crisis to an already devastated world.

Our partner in Ukraine, 100% LIFE, has been fighting for the rights of people living with HIV for 21 years. Beginning at the same year of the Doha declaration, 100%LIFE is now the largest patient-led organisation in Ukraine. Under the slogan of “Fight for Life”, the Network works with patients and for patients, representing the interests of people living with HIV in 25 regions of Ukraine and annually provides services to more than 190,000 patients, 90,000 of whom are people living with HIV.

Started by people living with HIV, for people living with HIV, 100% LIFE’s work has been effective in reforming the country’s patent laws and reducing the price of many essential medications.

100% LIFE’s persistent advocacy, capacity building and dialogue with law and policy makers on the need for patent law reform in Ukraine resulted in a huge victory in 2020, when crucial public health safeguards were introduced into Ukraine’s patent law.

In February 2022, however, the work of 100% Life changed drastically as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started. But 100% LIFE was always on the frontlines and had already been providing HIV treatment to prisoners in Russian-held Ukrainian territory. The organisation focussed on its strengths and long experience of working with Ukraine’s health system to support the continued availability and access of critical health services, medicines and treatments.

During the war in Ukraine, 100% LIFE has been working non-stop to ensure that HIV treatment in the country is not interrupted and has provided more than 90,000 people living with HIV with their ARVs for the next 6 months. In total, 129,194 HIV patients in need of daily treatment will be provided with medicines. They continue to provide HIV testing, counselling and treatment services at the 100% Life branches in all regions of Ukraine

So, with great solidarity and love and deep condolences for the loss of loved ones, friends and comrades, ITPC and the Make Medicines Affordable Consortium announce that the 2022 Leadership Award on IP and Access to Medicines will honour and recognise 100% LIFE’s work in times of peace and in times of war.