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RR RUEHAST
DE RUEHVB #0911/01 2120456
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 310456Z JUL 06 ZFR IMI ZFR
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6461
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ZAGREB 000911 
 
SIPDIS 
 
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ZFR ALL THREE SECTIONS IMI ZFR ZFR 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV KHIV PHUM PGOV HR
 
SUBJECT: CROATIA SEEKS FUNDING TO CONTINUE AIDS- 
RELATED ACTIVITIES 
 
 
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referred to Dr. Begovac in Zagreb for further 
testing, treatment and medicine. Dr. Begovac keeps a 
record of all HIV/AIDS cases to be reported to the 
National Health Insurance, which pays for treatment 
and medicine. Patients travel up to four times a 
year for exams and prescriptions. Seventeen of 20 
existing drugs are available in Croatia. Health 
officials said this is adequate.  The centralized 
treatment center helps HIV patients maintain their 
privacy, Dr. Begovac said, because they don't have 
to visit neighborhood clinics regularly. 
 
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Changing attitudes 
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¶8. Begovac said it's not as easy for AIDS patients 
to find dentists and doctors to treat them for other 
ailments because of lingering fear among medical 
practitioners. Begovac said he is working within the 
University Hospital and medical community to educate 
physicians, nurses and dentists about HIV/AIDS. He 
said the problem remains with older medical 
professionals and expects it to lessen with time. 
 
¶9. Croatia's attitude has somewhat improved since 
2002 when the public and press scandalized Ela and 
Ina, two girls who were nearly barred from attending 
public primary school when it became known they were 
HIV positive. Health officials attribute the 
positive change to the numerous education and 
prevention programs run by five NGOs and backing 
from the Ministry of Public Health. They said 
testing and treatment is not enough without 
community outreach. Since a team of medical experts 
went to Kutina to explain that Ela's and Ina's 
classmates wouldn't be in danger of contracting the 
disease through casual contact, they and a handful 
of other HIV infected children have been able to 
attend public schools. 
 
¶10. Educational programs were introduced into middle 
and high schools nationwide, targeting the age group 
most likely to become sexually active. School 
officials resisted at first, mainly due to the 
influence of the Roman Catholic Church, HUHIV's 
spokesman said, but now 70 percent allow NGOs to 
provide HIV/AIDS education programs and materials. 
The most resistant areas tend to be in Dalmatia 
where the population is most conservative, HUHIV 
reports. But even some of those schools have signed 
on to the Church's own HIV/AIDS education program. 
 
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Anti-discrimination legislation 
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¶11. The UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS analyzed 
Croatia's legislation regarding AIDS and anti- 
discrimination and published a report in June. 
The analysts said Croatia essentially follows 
international recommendations regarding testing and 
privacy but needs to strengthen its regulations in 
those areas as well as in protecting people with 
HIV/AIDS and their families from discrimination. 
 
¶12. Although testing is voluntary by law, there are 
exceptions. Testing is mandatory for blood, organ 
and tissue donors. It's also mandatory for those 
seeking positions as crew on aircraft and ships and 
military and civilian bodyguards. The report also 
notes that there is discrimination in the workplace 
in hiring, promoting and treatment of employees who 
are discovered to have HIV/AIDS. 
 
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Working with the Media 
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¶13. Jovovic said the HIV/AIDS community is making 
efforts to work with rather than battle the media. 
People discovered with HIV/AIDS are still big news, 
but Jovovic said she and her colleagues respond 
quickly to media inquiries, when appropriate, with 
factual information. Jovovic said the UN Theme Group 
has assembled a group of journalists and lawyers to 
review media coverage of HIV/AIDS in Croatia, with a 
report to be released in September. They also are 
 
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sponsoring a journalism competition with an award 
for the most responsible coverage of HIV/AIDS to be 
announced in December. 
 
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More success stories 
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¶14. HIV/AIDS workers point to the AIDS tram, painted 
on the outside with contact information for testing 
and counseling, as one of their most successful 
innovations. The tram has been running for a year in 
Zagreb. HUHIV also publishes a quarterly information 
bulletin, with a circulation of 10,000 nationwide, 
including hospitals, clinics and testing centers. 
The NGOs also organize the annual World AIDS Day on 
December 1. 
 
¶15. Dr. Skoko-Poljak noted the inroads made into the 
communities of sex workers and intravenous drug 
users. She said many are voluntarily going for 
testing, accepting condoms and participating in 
needle exchange programs through outreach workers at 
churches, local governments, NGOs, and police. 
She said they are also offering tests in prisons. 
 
DELAWIE