The Ukrainian government has approved a programme for combating HIV and AIDS in 2004-08, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported on 4 March. The fifth national programme for the prevention of HIV, assistance to and treatment of HIV-positive and AIDS patients in 2004-08 was approved on 3 March, the Ukrainian Health Ministry said, according to Interfax-Ukraine.

Under the programme, a total of 864,684,500 hryvnyas (over 162m dollars) is to be spent on HIV and AIDS programmes in Ukraine in 2004-08, the report said.

Of the sum, 202,128,700 hryvnyas (over 37m dollars) are to be derived from the state budget, 88,158,200 hryvnyas (over 16.5m dollars) - from local budgets, 427,864,800 (over 80m dollars) are to be granted by the UN Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, 146,482,300 (over 26m dollars) are to be borrowed from the World Bank, and 50,500 hryvnyas (over 9,400 dollars) are to be derived from other sources, the agency said.

An AIDS symbol made from balloons is released into the skies by the Independence column in downtown Kiev
(AFP/File/Sergei Supinsky)