The Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24 led to the flight abroad and the resettlement of millions of Ukrainians. Some of them came to Bulgaria. According to the latest data from the “National Portal for People Affected by the War in Ukraine”, the remaining Ukrainians in our country are nearly 100 thousand, and those registered for temporary protection are close to 90 thousand.
In addition to solidarity, help and support for refugees from Ukraine, our society has doubts, fears and fears about what will bring to us those fleeing the military conflict. These sentiments are fueled by various posts, comments and statements on social networks.
According to one of the allegations circulating on Facebook, 25% of Ukrainian refugees entering our country have AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases. The statement is from a publication in the profile of Konstantin Kachulev.
We contacted by phone with Mr. Kachulev, who says that he is a master pharmacist, to find out where he has the data he provided. He replied that he had them from his source, who did not want to be mentioned.
“I was given the information orally and there is no way to prove it. So I wrote and apologized afterwards for not being able to satisfy the audience with a written document. I didn’t want to cause trouble … ”
There are a number of posts circulating on Facebook, containing concerns, allegations and comments on the subject with suggestions of growing danger on the basis of memorized data that differ from the actual ones.
What the Ministry of Health says
In the course of the inspection we sent an official inquiry to the Ministry of Health with questions on the topic:
Question № 1: Does the Ministry of Health have data on the health status of refugees from Ukraine entering our country, and in particular for those of them who have AIDS?
Answer: The Ministry of Health does not have data on the health status of those entering the country, regardless of their nationality or country of arrival.
Pursuant to Order № 01-151 / 28.03.2022 of the Minister of Health, as of 28.03.2022, persons arriving from Ukraine who do not present a valid EU digital COVID certificate for vaccination, disease or testing or equivalent or an analogous document containing the same data as the EU digital COVID certificate shall be examined, if possible, by the border health authorities with a rapid antigen test.
Question № 2: Is there such data on how many of the Ukrainian refugees in our country carry the HIV virus, are they tested for AIDS?
Answer: As of April 1, 2022, Ukrainian citizens with HIV infection have been diagnosed in the National Reference Verification Laboratory for HIV at the NCIPD. All of them were diagnosed in Ukraine with prescribed antiretroviral therapy.
The Ministry of Health has prepared information materials to be provided to all persons arriving from Ukraine, containing information about the Cabinets for Anonymous and Free AIDS Counseling and Testing (KABKIS) at the Regional Health Inspectorates, where they can get tested for HIV .
Question № 3: Are there a large number of Ukrainian refugees with AIDS who, due to their treatment in our country, complicate our health system?
Answer: No, no. The treatment of persons is applied after receiving a confirmatory result for HIV infection from the National Reference Confirmatory Laboratory for HIV (NRPL) at the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, according to Ordinance № 47 of 11 December 2009 on the terms and conditions of testing, reporting and reporting of acquired immune deficiency virus virus.
Question № 4: Is there a danger for our population because of the Ukrainian refugees coming to us who have AIDS?
Answer: HIV is the human immune deficiency virus, which weakens the human immune system and makes it vulnerable to any infection that a healthy body can fight without a problem. The virus is found in most body fluids of an infected person, but only the blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk contain enough viruses to infect them. HIV infection can occur through direct contact with any of these fluids in a person carrying the virus.
Field data
“These are fictitious percentages of someone who has read statistics about Ukraine and interpreted it in a very layman’s way. He sees the officially registered persons in Ukraine – 250 thousand, he sees how many have come to our country and makes some assumptions “, says Desislava Bozhidarova from the Foundation” I “carries out activities in support of people living with HIV in Bulgaria. The Foundation maintains consulting offices in the cities of Sofia and Varna.
“Officially, we have two people who have passed through us (in Sofia). The first recipe was written on them and it has already been taken. Ie they already have the rights of all other citizens to follow up and receive monthly therapy, including monitoring. They are familiar with the system, they are integrated. There are also three who are waiting for their protocols “, says Desislava Bozhidarova, speaking about the situation in the capital …
Dr Daniela Yordanova, chairwoman of the I Foundation, which monitors the HIV situation in Varna, says: “We have a calm situation. So far, only two people have sought help. I am not convinced whether they are refugees or long-time residents “There is no influx here in Varna.”
How many are infected in Ukraine itself
According to UNAIDS (United Nations Joint Program on HIV and AIDS) by 2020, the number of people living with HIV in Ukraine is between 210,000 and 330,000, with a population of 44 million. The fact is that Ukraine holds one of the highest rates of HIV / AIDS in Eastern Europe and the highest prevalence of HIV outside Africa.
Desislava Bozhidarova: “Ukraine’s problem is that HIV has been spread there for years with injecting drug use. This is the big problem. And there the majority are men, and at the moment in Bulgaria women and children predominate. The problem is for other HIV-positive people in Ukraine. They are also on a methadone program that has been discontinued. This is much more fatal for them than HIV treatment. I do not expect there to be any boom or any number here that will surpass ours. In Bulgaria there are about 20-30 newly registered per month. By no means do I expect Ukrainian citizens to have any advantage. “
How AIDS is transmitted and risk factors
HIV is the human immune deficiency virus, which weakens the human immune system and makes it vulnerable to any infection that a healthy body can fight off without a problem. The virus is found in most body fluids of an infected person, but only the blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk contain enough viruses to infect them. HIV infection can occur through direct contact with any of these fluids in a person who carries the virus, the Ministry of Health explains.
There are three main ways of transmitting the infection: sexual, blood and vertical (from the mother to her child). HIV can be transmitted through the exchange of various body fluids from infected people – such as blood, breast milk, semen and vaginal secretions. People cannot be infected through simple daily contact such as kissing, hugging, shaking hands or sharing personal items, food or water.
Risk behaviors that can lead to HIV infection are: injecting drugs, unsafe sexual contact, sexual contact with many partners, sexual contact with people at risk (injecting drug users, prostitutes)
Risk factors include: use of common needles and injection instruments, alcohol dependence, use of foot or cocaine, even without injection, homelessness, exposure to human blood or body fluids and tissues.
The World Health Organization explains more about the virus itself and how it can be transmitted, noting that people with HIV who take modern antiretroviral therapy and thus suppress the virus do not transmit HIV to their sexual partners. Thus, early access to this therapy and support for continued treatment are crucial not only to improve the health of people living with HIV, but also to prevent transmission of the virus.
Conclusion
There are not a large number of Ukrainian refugees infected with HIV and AIDS who have entered Bulgaria and live here. The percentages indicated by users on social networks have not been confirmed or supported by evidence. There are no data on a high number of infected and sick Ukrainian refugees, the Ministry of Health answered our inquiry. The same was confirmed by the data of the field workers in Varna and Sofia. Therefore, there are no data and prerequisites for the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic in Bulgaria.
The virus is transmitted exclusively through sex and blood, and people living with HIV do not pose a direct threat to our society. Moreover, the huge number of Ukrainian refugees in our country are mothers with children.
In conclusion, it can be said that the allegations of mass HIV infection of Ukrainians fleeing the war and of a large number of AIDS patients entering our country is FALSE.
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