15.06.2006 - Source: Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe

Response on possible treatment of Beta-Thalassaemia major in Armenia and the Russian Federation ("Armenien und Russische Föderation; Behandlungsmöglichkeiten von Beta-Thalassaemia major") [ID 15412]

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01.05.2006 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Professionals treating people with mental disabilities typically poorly trained, basic needs of mental disability patients often ignored ("Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2006 (Events of 2005)") [ID 15649]

"Professionals treating those with mental disabilities were typically poorly trained, basic needs of mental disability patients (such as adequate food, housing and treatment in non-restrictive settings) were often ignored, and outmoded concepts of disability as well as outdated diagnostics and registration systems remained major obstacles to the adequate treatment and integration of persons with mental disabilities into community life.

Institutionalization was the major from of “treatment” used; there were almost no alternative community-based services. At the same time, psychiatric medications with serious and sometimes irreversible side effects were widely used in institutional settings. Moreover, the poor quality and isolation of the institutions caused and facilitated abuse and marginalization of mental disability patients. Access to institutions by independent monitors, including attorneys, was severely limited and a law obliging the state to establish independent services to protect the rights of those in psychiatric hospitals remained unimplemented. During the year, there were a number of court cases involving alleged human rights violations targeting people deemed to suffer from mental disabilities, which illuminated broader problems with respect to relevant Russian practice. "

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18.08.2005 - Source: Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe

Situation of patients suffering from tetraplegia (paralysis of arms and legs) deemed precarious by many experts; situation in state-run institutions commonly described as "disastrous"; free treatment for seriously disabled people not available in practice (expert opinion, in German) ("Behandlungsmöglichkeiten bei Tetraplegie; Gutachten der SFH-Länderanalyse") [#35961],  [ID 11975]

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2005 - Source: World Health Organization

Report on mental health policies, programmes, financing, legislation, services, professionals, treatment, medicines and related organisations ("Mental Health Atlas 2005") [ID 21798]

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2005 - Source: UN Development Programme

Russian Federation has highest tuberculosis mortality in Europe; TB is now transforming from definitely curable disease into illness requiring expensive treatment and frequently having lethal outcome ("Human Development Report 2005 - Russia in 2015: Development Goals and Policy Priorities") [ID 21867]

"Although there has been stabilization and even some decrease in TB registration rates in the last three years, the Russian Federation now has the highest tuberculosis mortality in Europe and is among the 22 countries of the world most affected by TB. It is particularly important to note rapid spread of forms of the disease that are resistant to conventional drugs: such forms are now 9-10% of all tuberculosis cases and up to 20% in prisons. Because of this, tuberculosis is now transforming from a definitely curable disease into an illness requiring expensive treatment and frequently having a lethal outcome. Tuberculosis is the main cause of death from infectious diseases in Russia. Like HIV/AIDS, it affects people in the prime of their working age, mostly males. In the context of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, it is important that tuberculosis is the major cause of death of persons living with HIV/AIDS20. Until recently, these two epidemics had developed in Russia more or less separately but in the last 2 years there has been considerable increase in the number of HIV and tuberculosis co-infections. According to data of the Federal Centre for Anti-Tuberculosis Care of Patients with HIV-infection, the number of patients with TB/HIV co-infection exceeded 7600 by the end of 2004."

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