January 14, 2025
Argentine protest for public health
Tuesday Argentine medical and scientific groups, patient organizations, and unions organized a “Hug for Public Health” demonstration in front of the Health Ministry in Buenos Aires.
The event was in response to the outcomes and statistics that are appearing after Milei’s administration dissolved the state’s departments responsible for designing and addressing policies for HIV, tuberculosis, leprosy, hepatitis and cancer.
This symbolic act aims were to demand the immediate delivery of medication to cancer patients and to protest the impact of recent budget cuts on healthcare.
“We demand the immediate compliance with the ruling that orders the National Directorate for Direct and Compensatory Assistance (Dinadic) to regularize the delivery of medication to cancer patients and those with rare diseases,” they stated.
In Argentina, over 60 people have died due to not receiving medications from the state. This occurred after far-right President Javier Milei decided to halt the distribution of medication through the Directorate of Direct Assistance for Special Situations (Dadse), an institution that was not audited in 2024.
The secretary of the Federation of Health Professionals of the Argentine Republic (Fesprosa), Jorge Yabkowski, explained that cuts to public programs have caused dramatic situations.
“Medications were cut off for over 1,000 patients. Obviously, these were critically ill patients, and the months-long suspension of their medication caused a large number of deaths,” he stated.
The National Front for the Health of People with HIV denounced that, in addition to cutting 76% of funding for people with this disease, the Milei administration dissolved the departments responsible for designing public policies for people with HIV, tuberculosis, leprosy, and hepatitis.
Source: Tiempo Argentino – La Nueva, translation Telesur