HIV/AIDS has increased by at least 5% in Russia in 2011

(Blogmensgo, March 21, 2012) In 2011, Russia has registered 62,000 new cases of HIV infection in, up by 5% over the previous year. The sexual transmission amongst heterosexuals accounted for 39.9% of new cases in 2011, or 4.5% more in three years, according to the Federal Health Service.

The main vehicle of contamination remains as intravenous drug users, with 57.9% of new cases. Feminisation of the pandemic in Russia and, in thirteen regions (the country has about fifty), with women being the victims of more than half of new infections.

According to official Russian reports, the infected adult population in Russia is 0.9%, against 0.2% of HIV cases in Western and Central Europe. And according to UNAIDS, the number of deaths from HIV / AIDS in Russia has doubled between 2004 and 2009, when it ranged from 35,000 to 65,000 deaths.

Russian statistics say that 97.6% of patients who needed antiretroviral treatment were in 2011. The UNAIDS has calculated that by 2010, antiretroviral therapy did not cover more than 29% of needs.

However, funds to stem HIV / AIDS in Russia exist and are in principle sufficient. The UNAIDS and the Russian Association of People living with HIV believe that the poor performance of Russia in this field are due to an empiricism guilty in the management and care statistics. The most obvious deficiencies on the prevention from the three most exposed targets: gays, syringe drug users and sex workers.

Comment. The UNAIDS report in 2010 states that some 980,000 people are living with HIV in Russia, while the Federal Health Service counts only 600,000 HIV cases since 1987. It is therefore likely that Russian statistics of 2011, already very alarming, are severely underestimated.

This article has been translated from its original on our French blog, to view the original, please click here.

Philca & Matt / MensGo

(Through all the press on 12 March 2012)