Introducing HIV Outcomes Romania

The HIV Outcomes Romanian Secretariat continued to work on developing final recommendations based on findings of the national study on quality of life for people with HIV.

HIV Outcomes Romania’s member Daniela Biris and co-chair Dr Mariana Maradarescu, called to urgently implement the Romanian HIV Strategy in events gathering key opinion leaders.

On May 17, HIV Outcomes Romania co-chair Dr Mariana Mardarescu participated in the HIV Outcomes Roundtable on HIV stigma and discrimination in Spain.

HIV Outcomes Romania’s experts outreached to the Ministry of Health, recommending to secure funding for the implementation of the National HIV Strategy, with a particular focus on HIV testing, HIV control and management of comorbidities.

HIV Outcomes Romania co-chairs organised a panel discussion with regional HIV care centres to validate and eliminate biases in the final results on the study on quality of life for people living with HIV in Romania.

HIV Outcomes Romania Steering Group discussed advocacy for financing and implementing the Romanian National HIV Strategy 2022-2030.

The HIV Outcomes Romanian Secretariat published its first newsletter, highlighting its key achievements and objectives at national and European levels.

The HIV Outcomes Romanian Secretariat successfully provided input to the Romanian Healthcare Strategy, released in April. The document now includes increased involvement of HIV community and NGOs in public policies management, and focus on comorbidities treatment and quality of life for people with HIV.

Together with several national NGOs, the HIV Outcomes Romanian Secretariat further refined findings from the survey on quality of life of people living with HIV in Romania.

Ahead of the HIV Outcomes roundtable in May with Spanish authorities, Romanian HIV stakeholders were contacted to identify and communicate best practices in addressing HIV-related stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings.

The HIV Outcomes Romanian Secretariat met with the Romanian Ministry of Health and advocated for the inclusion of HRQoL in national HIV policies.

The HIV Outcomes Romanian Secretariat participated in an operational workshop in Brussels to prepare the HIV Outcomes roundtable in Madrid and present its perspectives for future common actions across HIV Outcomes teams.

In 2022, HIV Outcomes Romania initiated a study on the quality of life of people living with HIV. After collecting 1050 survey answers, the Secretariat liaised with national HIV care network representatives and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases to further refine findings and develop policy asks.

As a result of our partnership with the Romanian Health Minister and Senate’s Health Committee to advocate for the improvement of HRQoL, our policy asks were included in the Romanian HIV Strategy 2022-2030.

National expert Dr. Anca Streinu-Cercel delivered a speech on the current successes and challenges in HIV care in Romania during HIV Outcomes’ World AIDS Day event organised at the European Parliament.

The Secretariat presented the initiative’s activity and policy asks at the Romanian World AIDS Day event at the Romanian National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

We continued our advocacy , providing input with the initiative’s asks on HRQoL into the National Healthcare Strategy 2022-2030.

A promotional video on HIV Outcomes Romania members’ activities was produced and launched.

We engaged with patient organisations (UNOPA), NGOs and other HIV stakeholders and drafted a  Joint Letter on the importance of swiftly adopting a National HIV Strategy focusing on HRQoL.

The Romanian Secretariat representative gave a speech on HIV Outcomes Romania’s activity and its policy asks at an international policy event lead by Key Opinion Leaders from the Romanian National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

The Romanian Secretariat finalised to coordinate data collection- 1049 questionnaires– for developing the study on quality of life for people with HIV.

HIV Outcomes Romania’s Steering Group approved the initiative’s strategy and Work Plan for 2023.

Dr. Mioara Predescu, the Head of the Romanian HIV/AIDS Center at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases “Prof. Dr. Matei Balş”, joined HIV Outcomes Romania as a new member.

Advocated to include the recommendations on HRQoL in the Romanian National Healthcare Strategy and provided input in the Action Plan for the Romanian National HIV Strategy (RNHS) 2022-2030.

Following the high-level debate on the RNHS, a Joint Declaration was drafted including policy asks from 70 HIV experts, which included inter alia HIV Outcomes’ perspective on HRQoL. The Joint Declaration was shared with the Romanian Ministry of Health and was reflected in an official Senate’s press release.

A study on Quality of Life of people living with HIV was developed together with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

A Romanian speaker received the invitation for HIV Outcomes’ World AIDS Day event 2022 at the European Parliament in Brussels.

The high-level event ‘HIV Infection – Where to? The New National Strategy on HIV 2022-2030’ was organised at the Senate House in partnership with the Senate’s Health Committee and the Health Minister.

The Romanian Secretariat shared with the Romanian Health Minister a Joint Statement capturing the initiative’s views on the HIV National Strategy. 

Engaged with national government representatives to include HIV Outcomes’ recommendations in the Council Recommendation on Long-Term Care.

Contributed to the kick-off event of the Action Plan of National Strategy for Sustainable Development 2030 and input was provided to the public consultation on the 2030 HIV National Strategy.

HIV Outcomes’ policy asks were presented at a national debate organised by the National Union of Organizations of People Affected by HIV/AIDS (UNOPA), a member of the Romanian Steering Group. 

Input was provided on the first draft of the HIV Outcomes Policy Asks and contributed to the Policy Asks Workshop.

Advocacy efforts continued for the inclusion of HRQoL measurements and UNAIDS targets in the 2030 National Healthcare Strategy, as well as to progress on the study of quality of life for people living with HIV.

A recommendation on HRQoL was provided at the public consultation on the New National Healthcare Strategy 2022-2030 organised by the Romanian Ministry of Health.  

The first Operational Workshop of HIV Outcomes Romania was held with the participation of the European Secretariat and other in-country initiatives.

Three informative videos were produced and translated into English where the work of HIV Outcomes Romania was captured and published on the HIV Outcomes website, YouTube and LinkedIn. 

Intelligence was collected on the needs of Ukrainian refugees living with HIV in refugee camps.

Input was provided on HRQoL, stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings, and comorbidities management to the Romanian National HIV Action Plan and UN indicators on physical and mental health, in relation to the Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3), to address discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, on the evaluation report by the Independent Expert of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (IE SOGI).

The Chair of HIV Outcomes Romania, Prof Dr. Adrian Streinu Cercel, participated in the IAS satellite event  “Supporting health-related quality of life for people living with HIV: Lessons and learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Participated in the virtual roundtable discussion with board members and HIV communities and representatives “Nothing about us, without us – Delivering health-related quality of life for people living with HIV” which focused on the involvement of people living with HIV in shaping public policies in Romania.

The HIV Outcomes Advocacy Toolbox was translated into Romanian and disseminated.

Advocated for the inclusion of HRQoL in HIV-related legislation and provided input to the Parliamentary review of the national health and HIV-related legislation.

The Undetectable = Untransmissible campaign was launched to raise awareness on HIV. The campaign received institutional support from the National Council for Combating Discrimination to become a message of public interest. 

Input was provided on the 2030 National Strategy for Sustainable Development calling for the UNAIDS target proposals and national indicators to measure the HRQoL of people living with HIV.

A study on the quality of life of people living with HIV in Romania was launched. The study aimed to explore the factors that influence the long-term wellbeing and overall quality of life of different population groups living by HIV in Romania.  

Five new members joined the Romanian Steering Committee; Daniel Scoarta (member of UNOPA), Dr. Teodora Moisil (Regional HIV Treatment Center Timisoara), Ana Maria Schweitzer (Baylor Foundation), Dr. Florentina Dumitrescu (Regional HIV Treatment Center Craiova) and Daniela Biris (Regional HIV Treatment Center Timisoara).

The virtual event “Improving the well-being and quality of life of people living with HIV by combating stigma and discrimination” took place on 22 February 2021. The event was organised as an open forum, with the aim to stimulate a creative exchange among different stakeholders. 

Bilateral discussions were held with Members of the Romanian Steering Group to discuss key issues, including the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on people living with HIV, caretakers and clinicians. Building on these conversations, the initiative had exchanges with political stakeholders and members of the government on the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on the access to treatment and management of comorbidities for people living with HIV.

The HIV Outcomes Recommendations were translated into Romanian and disseminated nationally. 

The HIV Outcomes Romania Steering Group held its first official meeting and approved its first national Work Plan.

HIV Outcomes Romania held its kick-off meeting with the participation of the European Steering Group Members and potential Romanian Steering Group Members.