A dangerous climate

Under the Ceausescu regime had banned all forms of family planning - including contraception. This, combined with terrible poverty, have made large percentages of children face abandonment and neglect in institutions. Universal precautions were ignored to prevent the massive spread of the disease. Unscreened blood transfusions were used to enhance immunity of sick children. Along with denying the existence of any risk of HIV transmission in Romania, the conditions have encouraged a climate that allowed the unhindered spread of the disease.

The epicenter of the disease was constant, the second largest city in the country. It is a Black Sea port city, where workers are found throughout the country, and often diverting transit life of misery and uncertainty conditions. Many donated blood - including sex workers - to make money, not knowing he was infected with HIV - and that were not implemented screening programs for blood collected, it was not found. The children then received infusions of blood from an infected adult medical procedures have been others who claimed that they received blood from adults to become stronger. This practice seems to have been common especially in some of the major centers for each child. Therefore, HIV has made numerous victims among children in Romania, estimated that about 3748 children died of AIDS by 2006.

In the late '80s - the early years of the epidemic - Constanta has proven to be totally unprepared to handle thousands of cases of AIDS in children. The reaction to the crisis was neither organized nor supported, was a reaction involving emergency management and support of dedicated people from western countries. There is a clear discrepancy in perceptions. While the Romanian Minister of Health denied the seriousness of the situation and simply wait for patients to die, civil society, coordinated by volunteers and support of international donors, began to work in partnership with the Department of the hospital.

But because it was so undermined civil society under communism in Romania, took more than ten years after 1989 that people with HIV / AIDS at the national level to organize and to demand changes in the health system.