Public health

Monitoring discrimination of patients in Moldova

The project Consolidating Civil Society Capacity in Moldova in the Fight against Discrimination through Advocacy Activities is financed by the European Union and implemented by Promo-Lex and The Equal Rights Trust (ERT) during 2013-2016. The overall objective is to strengthen the protection against all forms of discrimination in Moldova. In this project, AFI is one of the 10 national monitors that were contracted. The monitors are responsible for collecting evidence in the cases of discrimination and inequality, but also to collect information on how discrimination and inequality are experienced by different groups in various parts of Moldova, but also in dinstinct areas of life. The purpose of monitoring is to improve the documentation of discrimination, as a phenomenon, and analyze the interrelationship between different grounds of discrimination.

AFI, as a contracted monitor, ensures the detection of violations of patients' rights cases in various public health problems (including HIV, drug addiction, TB). Vulnerable groups are often discriminated against on the basis of social status, but also because of the disease itself (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis). Therefore, AFI's responsibility is to identify and document such cases in Moldova, including the Transnistrian region.

Between April and September 2015, AFI has to organize six focus groups involving 10-15 people, has to conduct 48 interviews with people who have been discriminated against, and has to make 12 visits to both public institutions and private ones. To conduct all these activities AFI applies the rules and guidelines of the Monitoring Guide provided by Promo-LEX and The Equal Rghts Trust.