Source: Ukraine: Daily newspapers: the Economic News
Date of publication: 17-05-2007
 
On Wednesday, Donetsk Oblast Governor Vladimir Logvinenko, Chairman of Donetsk Regional Council Anatoliy Bliznyuk and President of SCM's Foundation for Development of Ukraine Rinat Akhmetov (MP) signed the Memorandum on cooperation between general public, authorities and business to combat TB epidemic

Signatures put by the officials in the document mean that on May 31 the session of the Regional Council will pass a decision on allocation of UAH 50m from the regional budget to combat tuberculosis.

The business represented by Mr. Akhmetov, the President of the Foundation, allocates also
UAH 50m. And his Foundation will provide another UAH 50m to other regions willing to join the nationwide project "Ukraine without Tuberculosis" and to sign the Memorandum. SCM plans to spend UAH 100m in total within 5 years to combat TB in Ukraine. The monies are planned to be spent on creating a training center for Ukrainian TB-doctors, restoring the national children anti-TB sanatorium, providing financial aid to scientific and social studies and holding a nationwide awareness campaign promoting healthy style of living.

Presentation of the nationwide project and a regional program was held in the 5-star hotel Donbass Palace. The presentation was attended by honorary guests, Members of Ukrainian Parliament: Valentin Landik, Vladimir Boyko, Efim Zviagilskiy and the Governor of Lvov Region Petr Oliynyk. Mr. Akhmetov told he experienced TB firsthand: his brother lost 1.5 lungs through this illness and was saved due to efforts of the whole family only.

The ceremony was free of any politics, except for a statement made by the Deputy Minister of Healthcare Valeriy Ivasyuk that "Donetsk is very much purer than Kiev, both in the proper and figurative sense."
 
Aleksandr Solovey