On the radio program, Gabriela Pagliano, Undersecretary of Healthy Health Policies, spoke about the event for World AIDS Response Day.
By Tomás Modini
@ModiniTomas
At the beginning of the interview, Gabriela Pagliano talked about the event that will take place in the Plaza de San Justo on Friday, December 6: “What we’re doing is putting forward a bit of what we’ve been working on continuously all year in the program’s direction, which is an area I oversee.”
“We have the municipal HIV and other sexually transmitted infections program, so what we’re going to do is go beyond the healthcare providers and offer the event. We’ll conduct rapid tests for these diseases, there will be professionals available for informative talks, we’ll continue with vaccinations, and of course, we’ll give it an institutional artistic framework to strengthen the theme,” she elaborated.
She also pointed out that “the most interesting thing is being able to access testing and get an initial diagnosis, because afterward there’s a follow-up process, but it would be an initial public health diagnosis, which is currently so needed” and that “with this, we seek to strengthen and show that there is someone reliable, and then the follow-up and support.”
“The idea is for neighbors to participate and listen to the struggles for rights, because this is also one of the rights we must keep fighting for every day,” she added.
Difficulties Due to Lack of Budget
Regarding the current challenges posed by national policies, she stated: “We don’t stay silent. I’ve been in the program for many years, and I’ve been involved in sexual and reproductive health. By training, I’m a gynecologist, and what the program always did was support, in some way, with more condoms, even though oral contraceptives, injectables, and long-acting methods were also available.”
“Now, we are constantly making sure each patient gets their medication, and we calculate the timing to ensure they don’t run out. Fortunately, we’ve recently received some condoms, and we are always looking to strengthen this through municipal purchases. But we really believe the national government must fulfill the requirements of the laws and others,” she assured.
She added that “the programs are national programs, and the money and political decision-making must come from the government” and that “that’s why we’re always vigilant and constantly demanding that our neighbors have access to the necessary resources.”
Protecting Rights
In the final part, the topic of the high prices of condoms was discussed, to which the interviewee responded: “I also continue seeing my patients from years ago, and many of the women who come to the public system for contraceptive methods. There are others who don’t have coverage through their health insurance, even though they should, and I tell them to check if they can access a cheaper option.”
She then mentioned that “it’s not healthy to constantly interrupt treatments, regardless of what they are; in this case, HIV treatment” and that “medications should never be discontinued for economic reasons because people put their health at risk, and this situation is very delicate.”
“It’s extremely worrying, and that’s why we hold these visibility events to highlight that rights must be protected, respected, and always move forward,” she concluded.
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