Russia

Mr President,
I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the All Russian Public Organization of Disabled People with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), whose mission is to improve conditions and quality of life of people with MS and their families in Russia.
MS is an autoimmune disease, where immune system mistakenly attacks the protective layer (myelin) of the brain and spinal cord (CNS). MS affects about 2.5m people worldwide. Over past 5 years, rate of MS increased by 300%. 60,000 patients are diagnosed in Russia. About 130,000 estimated patients and 500,000 people involved.
Disease strikes youth between the ages of 16-32. Young women make 70%, out of which 45% develop MS following pregnancy. Increasingly, we see more kids with MS – that makes 7% now.
In 2011, for the first time, world leaders reached consensus on specific measures in dealing with non-communicable diseases.
While developed countries’ economy capacities have grown and finances for health systems increased, the average consumer’s satisfaction with medical services remains low.
At most, 40% of Russians are happy with the medical aid they get.
The All Russian Public Organization for Disabled People with Multiple Sclerosis has put forward an initiative for public control in healthcare as a system to negotiate obstacles in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
In the last 5 years, the system of welfare for patients of Russian Federation, which offers assistance with highly expensive medications using government funding, increased the volume of government financial aid, by means of increasing medications supply, by three times.
That in turn allowed to increase the number of patients receiving adequate medical care, in accordance with WHO standards, by more than 4 times.
The number of special diagnostic centers increased six folds.
As part of the social planning and actualization projects, we have conducted 200 international and regional conferences, 112 negotiating platforms, 345 public hearings, 34 press conferences, 510 roundtables and seminars.


Mr. President,
We urge governments to support national programs to help patients with chronic diseases, such as MS, and to improve the efficiency of existing programs and organize public control system to ensure their implementation.
To achieve the targets to enhance the efficiency of financing the health care system in the Russian Federation, our organization seeks to arrange a public control system in health care through various facilities to monitor health care issue as well as holding public hearings and audits, including regular involvement and drawing attention of media as well as public councils at health bodies.
Mr. President,
The inputs of the international community, together with their expertise, are essential to make this system work efficiently.
We propose a creation of a discussion platform on ECOSOC UN level to exchange international expertise in public health care and request that interested NGOs join efforts by participating in this exchange with focus on the development of the control of quality of medical services to the population, detection of violations in health care and increased transparency of decision-making in health organizations in the Russian regions.
Thank you.
Anna Balashova,
PR Manager, RCNY
[e-mail]
www.RussianCenterNY.org