President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Is this file to demonstrate your performance in 2025?
Head of the Circle of Kindness Foundation Archpriest Alexander Tkachenko: Yes. Today, on International Children’s Day, I wanted to let you know that the foundation is contributing to ensuring a child’s right to life and health. Since the foundation’s inception, more than 30,000 children have received help.
The graduation school bells rang just a few days ago, and 1,500 children from among the children who graduated from grades 9-11receive medicines provided by the foundation. They write letters to the foundation, as do their parents. This book contains more than 300 letters that parents sent to us last year. If I may, I will read two of them, very moving ones.
Vladimir Putin: Please do.
Alexander Tkachenko: This one is from Natalya Afanasyevna from the Moscow Region, mother of Ilya, “Thanks to the medicine provided by the Circle of Kindness Foundation, everything is fine. My son finished school with good grades, no C’s in his certificate of graduation. He is now studying at a technical college, plans to work and be useful to his country, and to be happy.”
Darya, 18, entered the Russian University of Biotechnology last year. She studies to be a doctor and wants to become a geneticist. Despite being diagnosed with a serious illness, her condition has stabilised thanks to the medication, and she is studying without problems. She writes, “With my condition, I used to be wheelchair-bound, but now I can walk like everyone else; 20,000 steps a day is not a problem. For me, this is a significant breakthrough, the result of effective therapy.”
A remarkable journalist Sofiko Shevardnadze recently made a four-part documentary about the achievements of the children overseen by the foundation. The film was presented at the Moscow International Film Festival. On behalf of the filmmakers, I would like to present you with this poster for the film.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you.
Alexander Tkachenko: I have more results of the Circle of Kindness Foundation’s work to share.
The list of medicines that the foundation procures continues to expand. Last year, the foundation’s expert council approved 13 more medicines for treating 17 diseases for which no therapy was previously available.
We also analyse clinical practice, which has enabled doctors to expand the indications for prescribing an additional 51 medicines, allowing pathogenetic therapy to be initiated for a further 2,200 children. Currently, the lists comprise 133 medicines, five of which are gene therapies – that is, those capable of halting the development of a severe disease or curing it completely. Treatment has also begun for dystrophic forms of epidermolysis bullosa, including the so-called “butterfly children,” and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
I would also like to note that the new opportunity to treat children with hereditary illnesses in our country has paved the way for the development of centres for orphan diseases. Recently, ten orphan disease centres and 15 centres for genetic dermatoses have opened across the country, with a further five scheduled to open by the end of the year.
Medical genetic counselling services operate in 69 regions, including ten interregional centres that help detect illnesses at an early stage. This is part of the ongoing effort to develop neonatal screening. You previously issued an instruction on developing neonatal screening, as it is of paramount importance to detect diseases at the earliest possible stage and commence treatment. In accordance with your instruction, two additional diseases have been added to neonatal screening this year, bringing the total to 38. We anticipate that next year there will be another disease added, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, bringing the total to 39 diseases. Even now, the Russian Federation occupies a leading position in the early detection and treatment of orphan diseases.
The foundation pays considerable attention to…
Vladimir Putin: I am aware of this, and research is being conducted in these areas.
Alexander Tkachenko: Indeed, and research.
Over the past year, 178 scientific publications have been produced on the medicines supplied by the foundation alone. This serves as a substantial stimulus for the development of domestic science.
You also issued an instruction during our previous meeting regarding the establishment of a research structure within the foundation that would analyse the results of the use of medicinal products. The Ministry of Healthcare has prepared the relevant documents, and this structure has now been established.
The foundation acts as the commissioning party for the production of domestic medical devices. In particular, Samara State Medical University manufactures expandable prostheses to meet our requirements.
It is also important to note that 100 percent import substitution has recently been achieved for test systems, reagents for neonatal screening, and equipment for molecular diagnostics. This constitutes a highly significant element in the development of domestic industry.
As for the matters that are not directly connected to the purchase of medicines, I would like to mention an important achievement. It was extremely important for us to maintain contact with parents so that we can learn first-hand about the progress of treatment. It is especially important for parents, when they learn about the diagnosis, to be informed about the treatment status, the provision of medicines, and for how long the supplies will last. We joined forces with the Ministry of Digital Development to coordinate communication via the Public Services portal. The feedback feature can be used to quickly submit requests and receive replies via a protected channel. We have installed this system. Therefore, we are using modern technologies to address social issues.
Vladimir Putin: Is this effective?
Alexander Tkachenko: Yes, it is, and parents are grateful for having access to all the necessary information about the provision of medicines, the remaining stock and the next planned purchase.
Vladimir Putin: Good. I would like to thank all employees of the foundation for their noble work in the interests of our children. Thank you.
Alexander Tkachenko: Thank you very much.
I would like to share another piece of news with you. It is a good example of how compassion and mutual assistance bring people together.
I told you last time that His Holiness Patriarch Kirill supported the work of the foundation and blessed us, offering special prayers for the parents, children and doctors in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church on October 1. That initiative of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill has been supported by all traditional religions.
The Commission on Traditional Spiritual and Moral Values at the Presidential Council for Coordination with Religious Organisations held a meeting where representatives of all our religious associations proposed declaring October 1 Compassion Day and uniting their efforts to help children. This is a remarkable example of the unifying force of love for people and a proactive desire to help them.
Vladimir Putin: This is true. Thank you very much.
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