Official statistics of HIV and AIDS in Russia (latest data). Is there an HIV epidemic in Russia? High-risk regions

According to UNAIDS, the UN organization against AIDS, we have prepared a list of countries where you should be especially careful not to become infected with the “plague of the 20th century.”

The topic of the article is not the most pleasant, but “forewarned is forearmed”, the problem exists and simply turning a blind eye to it is unforgivable carelessness. Travelers often take risks with their health, fortunately, with fewer consequences, but it’s still not worth putting yourself in danger.

Although the country is the most developed on the African continent, the number of HIV-infected people here is a record 5.6 million. This despite the fact that there are 34 million patients in the world, and the population of South Africa is about 53 million, that is, more than 15% are living with the virus.

What you need to know: the majority of HIV-positive people are blacks from disadvantaged suburbs. It is this group that is in the worst social conditions with all the ensuing consequences: drug addiction, promiscuous sex, unsanitary conditions. The most patients were recorded in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal (capital - Durban), Mpumalanga (Nelspreid), Freestate (Blomfontien), North West (Mafikeng) and Gauteng (Johanesburg).

Nigeria

There are 3.3 million HIV-infected people here, although this is less than 5% of the population: Nigeria recently supplanted Russia, taking 7th place in the world - 173.5 million people. In big cities, the disease spreads due to antisocial behavior, and in rural areas due to constant labor migration and “free” morals and traditions.

What you need to know: Nigeria is not the most hospitable country and Nigerians themselves understand this very well. Therefore, the receiving party will certainly take care of safety and warn against dangerous contacts.

Kenya

The country accounts for 1.6 million infected people, slightly more than 6% of the population. At the same time, women are more likely to suffer from the disease - about 8% of Kenyans are infected. As in many African countries, the status of women, and therefore their level of security and education, is still very low.

What you need to know: a safari in a national park or a beach and hotel holiday in Mombasa are completely safe activities, unless, of course, you specifically look for illegal entertainment.

Tanzania

A country that is quite friendly for tourists with a lot of interesting places is also dangerous from the point of view of HIV infection, although not like many other countries in Africa. According to recent studies, the HIV/AIDS incidence rate in Tanzania is 5.1%. There are fewer infected men, but the gap is not as large as, for example, in Kenya.

What you need to know: Tanzania, by African standards, is a fairly prosperous country, so if you follow the obvious rules, the threat of infection is minimal. The percentage of infected people is high, more than 10, in the Njobe region and the capital Dar es Salaam. Luckily, both of them are far from the tourist route, unlike Kilimanjaro or Zanzibar Island.

Mozambique

The country is deprived not only of attractions, but also of basic infrastructure from hospitals to roads and water supply. In addition, many consequences of the civil war are still unresolved. Of course, the African country in this state could not avoid the epidemic: according to various estimates, from 1.6 to 5.7 people were infected - conditions simply do not allow for an accurate study. Due to the widespread spread of the immunodeficiency virus, outbreaks of tuberculosis, malaria and cholera often break out.

What you need to know: the country is dysfunctional, an outsider even in its own region. The chance of getting infected here is higher than in others, so you need to be especially careful about precautions.

Uganda

A country with good potential for classic safari tourism, which it has been actively developing lately. Plus, Uganda has been and remains one of the most progressive countries in terms of HIV prevention and diagnosis in Africa. The first specialized clinic was opened here, and there are disease testing centers throughout the country.

What you need to know: the risk groups are the same as everywhere else: drug addicts, former prisoners - it will not be difficult for a sane tourist not to cross paths with them.

Zambia and Zimbabwe

These countries are similar in many ways, even the main attraction is shared between them: Victoria Falls is located right on the border - tourists can come to it from both sides. In terms of living standards and AIDS incidence, the countries are also not far from each other - in Zambia there are almost a million infected, in Zimbabwe - 1.2. This is an average figure for Southern Africa - from 5% to 15% of the population.

What you need to know: There are problems with the provision of medicines; in addition, in rural areas, many self-medicate and practice useless rituals. Therefore, the disease, typical of cities, reached remote areas.

India

There are 2.4 million HIV-infected people here, although against the backdrop of a population of 1.2 billion this does not look so scary - less than 1%. The main risk group is sex industry workers. 55% of Indians live in four southern states - Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In Goa, the incidence rate is far from the highest for India - 0.6% of men and 0.4% of women.

What you need to know: Fortunately, HIV infection, unlike many other tropical diseases, depends indirectly on unsanitary conditions. Outright dirt and cramped conditions are normal for India. The main thing, as, by the way, in any country, is to try not to appear in public places if there are wounds and cuts on the body, not to wear open shoes in the city, and we don’t even talk about dubious entertainment.

Ukraine

Eastern Europe, unfortunately, has shown positive trends in the incidence of HIV/AIDS over the past decades, and Ukraine consistently tops this sad list. Today in the country a little more than 1% of people are HIV-infected.

What you need to know: several years ago, unprotected sex became the method of spreading the disease, overtaking injections with dirty syringes. The Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk, Odessa and Nikolaev regions are unfavorable. There, per 100 thousand inhabitants there are 600-700 infected. Kyiv, where tourists most often come, has an average level, and Transcarpathia has the lowest level in the country.

America ranks 9th in the world in the number of HIV carriers - 1.2 million people. Such a high rate in one of the most prosperous countries is due to the high level of drug addiction, unresolved social contradictions, and active migration. And the riotous, dissolute 60s were not in vain for the health of the nation. Of course, the disease is concentrated on specific groups of people, who in the United States most often live, not so much separately from everyone else, but localized, in “bad” areas.

What you need to know: Here are ten cities where the percentage of HIV-positive patients is the highest (in descending order): Miami, Baton Rouge, Jacksonville, New York, Washington, Columbia, Memphis, Orlando, New Orleans, Baltimore.

HIV infection in the world is one of the most progressive sexually transmitted diseases. It is also worth noting that AIDS statistics in the world, as a rule, absolutely do not correspond to the true picture of the spread of the disease, since research methods are based only on patients who are served in medical institutions. At the same time, most carriers of the infection and patients do not even suspect they are infected due to reluctance or inability to see a doctor.

Another factor contributing to the concealment of truthful information about the spread of AIDS in the world is the fear of politicians and doctors being to blame for the inability to contain the avalanche of infection that is rapidly moving towards humanity.

State of the spread of HIV in the world

The number of HIV-infected people in the world is growing exponentially. First of all, this is due to the fact that the problem of AIDS in the world does not lend itself to the basic rules of combating infectious diseases, which are based on the exclusion of one of the components of the epidemiological process:

Source of the disease.
Path of transmission.
Receptive population.

In countries around the world, HIV has long become the number one problem. For every infection to spread, there needs to be a source, a transmission route that ensures the virus reaches a susceptible population. In the case of HIV, there is no way to act on any of the three components that contribute to the spread of the disease. A huge problem is that most people become infected from carriers of the virus who are in the so-called “serological window”, when a person is already infected, but tests are still negative. It has not been possible to exclude the latter factor for many decades, since the invention of a vaccine against immunodeficiency has been postponed indefinitely due to insufficient knowledge, research and technical capabilities.

Taking into account the above, HIV statistics in the world will worsen every year, since many people on the planet underestimate the danger of the immunodeficiency virus. The current HIV epidemic situation in the world can only be influenced by the awareness of the population and support for the fight against AIDS at the state level.

Prevalence of HIV infection (AIDS) in the world

Only by the end of the eighties, the statistics of HIV-infected people in the world reached levels that shocked the world community. In 142 countries, the World Health Organization has identified more than 120 thousand people with AIDS and more than 100 thousand infected with the retrovirus. The real prevalence of HIV in the world is much higher than these data, since there is always a percentage of the population that is not registered in medical institutions and therefore cannot be taken into account in statistical indicators. There are also carriers who are not even aware of their infection. The AIDS epidemic in the world mainly affects people of reproductive age. This leads to a significant loss of the working population, a decrease in the birth rate of healthy children and, accordingly, a decrease in the health indicators of all layers of humanity.

How many HIV-infected people are there in the world?

The question that interests many is how many people have AIDS in the world today? The first places in the world for HIV are occupied by the countries of southern Africa, India, Russia, the USA and Latin America. In these states, infected people make up approximately 15% of the total population. Every year the number of HIV-infected people in countries around the world increases by 5-10 million. Thus, at the beginning of the 21st century, the number of AIDS patients in the world amounted to more than 60 million. The countries of southern Africa occupy the first place in the world community in terms of AIDS. Due to the unstable economic situation, the possibility of treating and identifying HIV-infected people is very difficult. This leads to the rapid and rapid spread of immunodeficiency among people. The disease progresses very quickly to stage 4 - AIDS.

Epidemiological situation of HIV infection in the world

Countries in which the incidence of immunodeficiency is rapidly increasing:

Brazil.
countries of Central Africa.
Haiti.
Indonesia.
Bangladesh.
Pakistan.
Mexico.
Great Britain.
Türkiye.

The ways in which AIDS spreads in countries around the world to some extent depend on the economic situation in the state and its policy towards HIV-infected people. There are such features:

The countries of the European Union, the USA, Australia and New Zealand are characterized by high early detection of the disease among the population. This is due to compulsory health insurance and relatively frequent high-quality medical examinations. Based on the results of the study, we can conclude that 80% of those infected were identified among homosexual men and drug addicts who use intravenous drugs. In childhood, the incidence is practically not recorded. This is due to timely and high-quality treatment of infected pregnant women, which prevents the vertical transmission of immunodeficiency (from a sick mother to a healthy fetus through the placenta, blood, breast milk). Cases of non-sexual transmission are practically never recorded in these countries.
For the countries of Africa and the adjacent warm islands, as well as the countries of the Caribbean, Indonesia, the rate of early detection of AIDS is very low. In these countries, the majority of patients are heterosexual. Their age is 18-38 years. Most of these people became infected through sexual contact with prostitutes. Studies show that more than 90% of them are infected with a retrovirus. In African countries, HIV transmission is often associated with sexual contact with an infected woman. More often, such intercourse additionally leads to diseases that are sexually transmitted. And genital ulcers that develop due to these pathologies lead to a higher likelihood of pathogen transmission. In such states, transfusion of blood and its products from an infected donor to a healthy recipient is not uncommon.
Countries where HIV was introduced relatively recently. These include Asia and Eastern Europe. Retrovirus infection here occurs primarily through sexual contact. The highest risk of infection is among people who have many sexual partners and do not neglect unprotected relationships with prostitutes.

HIV in Russia

The Ural Federal District ranks first in terms of HIV in the Russian Federation. It has about 800 patients registered per 100 thousand population, which is a very high figure. Over the past 15 years in Russia, cases of detection of immunodeficiency in pregnant women have increased by 15%. At the same time, such women are registered at a later stage, which leads to intrauterine infection of the fetus due to the lack of necessary treatment in the early stages of embryo formation. Also, the Siberian Federal District claims first place in AIDS in Russia, where about 600 infected people per 100 thousand people are registered, most of them have the last stage of development of the disease, that is, AIDS.

Medical news in the world of HIV

Nowadays, the task of creating a vaccine against a retrovirus is in the first place for scientists. A huge amount of research is currently being carried out in the field of molecular microbiology, which undoubtedly brings humanity closer to the creation of a vaccine against AIDS. Despite this, there are a number of factors that prevent the possibility of obtaining such a drug:

High ability of the virus to mutate.
A variety of HIV strains (2 types are currently known).
The need to combat not only the retrovirus, but also infected cells of the body, as well as AIDS-associated infections.

Due to the fact that the spread of HIV in the world is growing every year, many patients simply do not have time to wait for a vaccine. Therefore, the main way to combat this disease should be aimed at preventive measures. All HIV-infected people in the world receive free treatment, which provides them with the most comfortable life possible. With adequate and competent therapy, patients can live a full and long life. HIV treatment around the world is carried out in regional AIDS centers according to uniform standards and provides for an individual approach to any patient, selection of a regimen depending on the stage of progression of the pathology. The main principle of providing medical care is maximum confidentiality.

AIDS is constantly spreading among the world's population, but it is not yet possible to cure it completely. Therefore, it is worth directing maximum efforts to prevent such a dangerous pathology.

Last week it became known that every 50th resident of Yekaterinburg is infected with HIV. Today, the Ministry of Health officially announced that an increased level of spread of the disease is observed in 10 regions, including the Sverdlovsk region. Life found out which regions of the country are most likely to become infected with a deadly disease.

On November 2, the first deputy head of the Health Department of the Yekaterinburg city administration, Tatyana Savinova, announced a pandemic of the immunodeficiency virus in the Ural capital. According to her, the disease is firmly rooted in all segments of the city’s population and the spread of the disease no longer depends on risk groups. In total, 26,693 cases of HIV infection have been registered in Yekaterinburg, but this includes only officially known cases, so the real incidence is much higher.

Later, the city health department provided information about the epidemic, and made a refutation itself Savinova. According to her, on P At the press conference, journalists asked her a question about the situation in Yekaterinburg. And in response she simply " voiced the data broadcast in the media."

Of course, for us doctors, this has been an HIV epidemic for a long time, since many people are sick in Yekaterinburg,” the official said. - This did not happen yesterday, and nothing was officially announced.

Today, the head of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Veronika Skvortsova, said that an increased level of spread of HIV disease has been recorded in 10 regions Russia.

In our country, 57% of all sources of HIV infection are through injection, usually from heroin addicts,” she added.

Meanwhile, according to experts, it is really high time to declare the epidemic officially, and on a nationwide scale.

The epidemic is spreading throughout the country, and only one administrator (the administration of one region) had the courage. - Approx. ed.) admit it. There is unevenness: the population of cities is more affected. And where the urban population is higher than the rural population, the percentage of those affected is higher. These are the Volga region, the Urals, Siberia. These are signs of a general epidemic that we have going on,” he told Life Director of the Federal Methodological Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS, Deputy Director of the Central Institute of Epidemiology Vadim Pokrovsky.

To prove this, the head of the center cited numbers.

Now 1% of our population is infected with HIV, and in the age group 30-40 years old - 2.5%. Every day we register a total of 270 new cases of HIV infection throughout the country, and 50-60 people die from AIDS every day. What else is needed to talk about an epidemic? - Pokrovsky wondered.

The HIV situation in Yekaterinburg is not even the worst. Every 50th city resident (2% of the population) is infected there. But in Togliatti (Samara region), as r said Head of the Federal Scientific and Methodological Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS Vadim Pokrovsky,Already 3% of the population is HIV positive.

On the Life map you can find your region and see how many sick people there are among your fellow countrymen.

Proportion of HIV-infected people from the total number of residents of the region

As you can see, the epidemic has hit Russia unevenly. Half of all infected people live in 20 of 85 regions. The worst situation is in the Irkutsk and Samara regions (1.8% of residents are infected with HIV). In third place is the Sverdlovsk region, the capital of which is Yekaterinburg (1.7% of residents are infected with HIV).

Slightly fewer people are infected in the Orenburg region (1.4%), Leningrad region (1.3%), and Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug (1.3%).

And here are the statistics on the mortality of HIV-infected people by region (data from the Federal AIDS Center dated 2014; there are no more recent statistics yet).

As of December 31, 2014 in Russia 148,713 HIV-positive adults and 683 children died. In 2014, 24.4 thousand HIV-positive people died.

Pokrovsky explained why HIV “chose” these particular regions:

These are regions where drug trafficking took place, for example, the Orenburg region. As well as financially prosperous parts of the country, where it was easier to sell drugs (Irkutsk and Sverdlovsk regions).

The mayor of Yekaterinburg, Evgeny Roizman, also said that the majority of HIV-positive people became infected due to drugs.

“I started talking about this in 1999,” he noted. - Of those drug addicts who passed through my hands, the guys were heroin addicts, 40% of them were HIV-infected. The girls are heroin addicts, if they don’t have HIV infection, it was an event. Moreover, they were all, as a rule, also prostitutes. Then, when what was called the crocodile started, everyone was there with HIV infection. They could buy disposable syringes, but they took them from one bowl. Now there is a sexual spread. Indeed, we are ahead of all of Russia. In the Sverdlovsk region the situation is worse than in Yekaterinburg. Ahead of all of Russia - this was due to drug addiction,” said Evgeniy Roizman.

Vadim Pokrovsky emphasized that among the main problems in this area is the shortage of medicines.

Now we need to treat a little more than 800 thousand HIV-infected people. 220 thousand have died, and, according to estimates, another 500 thousand have not yet been diagnosed,” Pokrovsky noted.

Earlier Pokrovsky, which is bad with prevention.

There are no strategic programs to combat AIDS in the regions, says Vadim Pokrovsky. - As a result, they will print and hang several posters and leaflets. This is where prevention ends.

It turns out to be a vicious circle.

People don’t even suspect how difficult the situation with HIV is in Russia, notes Vadim Pokrovsky. - Information is the main method of combating the spread of the disease. In addition, this also saves costs, because the fewer people who become infected, the fewer will have to be treated later.

Online questions and answers
November 2016

What is HIV?

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects cells of the immune system, destroying or impairing its functions. Infection with the virus leads to progressive degradation of the immune system and, as a result, to “immunodeficiency.” The immune system is considered defective when it can no longer fulfill its role in fighting infection and disease. Infections associated with severe immunodeficiency are known as "opportunistic infections" because they take advantage of a weakened immune system.

What is AIDS?

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the term applied to the most advanced stages of HIV infection. It is characterized by the occurrence of any of more than 20 opportunistic infections or HIV-related cancers.

How is HIV transmitted?

HIV can be transmitted through unprotected sexual contact (vaginal or anal) and oral sex with an infected person; by transfusion of contaminated blood; and sharing contaminated needles, syringes or other sharp instruments. It can also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.

How many people in the world are infected with HIV?

According to WHO and UNAIDS estimates, at the end of 2015 there were 36.7 million people living with HIV worldwide. In the same year, about 2.1 million people became infected and 1.1 million people died from HIV-related causes.

How quickly does an HIV-infected person develop AIDS?

This period of time varies widely among different people. Without treatment, most HIV-infected people develop signs of HIV-related illness within 5 to 10 years, and possibly sooner. After acquiring HIV infection, it usually takes 10-15 years, and sometimes more, before AIDS is diagnosed. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can slow the progression of the disease by preventing the virus from replicating and therefore reducing the number of viruses (known as the "viral load") in the blood of an infected person.

What life-threatening opportunistic infection most often affects people with HIV/AIDS?

In 2015, almost 390 thousand people with HIV died from tuberculosis. It is the leading cause of death among HIV-infected people in Africa and one of the leading causes of death among this population worldwide. There are a number of key health strategies that are critical to preventing and managing tuberculosis infection in people living with HIV.

routine screening for tuberculosis symptoms at every doctor visit;
management of latent tuberculosis infection (eg, isoniazid prophylaxis);
fight against tuberculosis infection;
early initiation of antiretroviral therapy.

How can I reduce the risk of transmitting HIV through sex?

use male or female condoms correctly during every sexual encounter;
take antiretroviral drugs for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
engage in non-penetrative sex only;
remain faithful in relationships with an uninfected and equally faithful partner and avoid any other forms of risky behavior.

Does male circumcision prevent HIV transmission?

Male circumcision reduces the risk of acquiring HIV during sexual contact between a man and a woman by approximately 60%.

The one-time procedure of medical male circumcision provides lifelong partial protection against HIV as well as other sexually transmitted infections. Male circumcision should always be considered as part of an overall HIV prevention package and in no way replaces other known methods of prevention, such as male and female condoms.

How effective are condoms in preventing HIV?

When used correctly during every sexual encounter, condoms are a reliable way to prevent HIV infection in women and men. However, no method of protection other than abstinence is 100% effective.

What is a female condom?

The female condom is the only female-controlled contraceptive barrier method currently available on the market. The female condom is a durable, soft, transparent polyurethane cap that is inserted into the vagina before sexual intercourse. When used correctly during every sexual encounter, it completely seals the vagina and provides protection against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.

What are the benefits of an HIV test?

Knowing your HIV status provides two important benefits:

Once you know you are HIV positive, you can take steps to access treatment, care and support before symptoms appear, potentially extending your life and preventing complications for many years to come. years.
Once you know you are infected, you can take precautions to prevent spreading HIV to others.

What are antiretroviral drugs?

Antiretroviral drugs are used in the treatment and prevention of HIV infection. They fight HIV by stopping or inhibiting the reproduction of the virus and reducing the amount of virus in the body.

What is the current state of antiretroviral therapy (ART) provision?

As of mid-2016, 18.2 million people were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) worldwide. While this figure reflects the impressive progress made in expanding HIV treatment coverage over the past decade, it represents only 46% of patients requiring ART. Thus, more than half of people who need access to treatment still do not have it.

Is there a cure for HIV?

No, there is no cure for HIV. But with proper and continued adherence to antiretroviral therapy, the progression of HIV in the body can be slowed almost to a stop. More and more people with HIV, even in low-income countries, are able to remain well and productive over long periods of time. WHO recommends treatment for all people infected with HIV and for those at significant risk.

What other types of help do people with HIV need?

In addition to antiretroviral therapy, people with HIV often need counseling and psychological support. Access to adequate nutrition, safe water and basic hygiene products for people living with HIV can also help maintain a high quality of life.

Many countries assess HIV infection as the main problem in the formation of a healthy nation throughout the world. Depending on the economic state of the state, the ability to quickly and accurately detect infected people, timely high-quality treatment of patients, as well as public awareness of the dangers of the disease and prevention methods, the indicator that determines in which country the incidence of HIV (AIDS) is highest.

The popularity of the state in the world community and economic growth in the 21st century depend on this indicator. Many highly developed countries do not allow entry into their territory without passing the appropriate test, which indicates that the government is interested in the health of its population. In the Russian Federation, every year every working person is required to take a test to determine the retrovirus in the blood. This allows you to control the disease and take appropriate measures to prevent immunodeficiency. For example, in Belarus, when crossing a border checkpoint, you must document your HIV-negativity. But in Europe this document is not always required. In any case, when traveling to another country, you must have such data with you, which is valid for 3 months.

Countries are divided into 3 levels based on the number of HIV-infected people:

States in which the AIDS pathogen is transmitted among men - homo- and bisexuals, drug addicts who use intravenous potent substances. These include the USA, Brazil, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Mexico, Great Britain, Turkey. These countries have a high rate of infected people per 100 thousand population, which ranges from 53 to 246 patients, depending on the region.
The disease occurs among heterosexuals when the pathogen is transmitted sexually through contact with a prostitute. At the same time, there is a high degree of possibility of infection in people who have many sexual partners. Often such patients are also exposed to sexually transmitted diseases. Similar regions include countries in Asia and Eastern Europe. They have a relatively low rate of retrovirus infections, which ranges from 20 to 50 patients per 100 thousand population.
In China, Japan, Nigeria, and Egypt, the incidence of HIV infection is lower than in other countries of the world. Here the disease is considered imported and is observed most often in prostitutes and people who use their services. These countries have a low infection rate, which ranges from 6 to 16 patients per hundred thousand citizens.

Countries intensively infected with HIV pose a great danger to the world's population. Statistics from such countries show that the incidence of immunodeficiency is growing every year. This suggests that the country is either not fighting AIDS, or the actions taken are not effective. There is a list that includes the most dangerous countries for HIV transmission. The rating below shows the level of danger in them:

SOUTH AFRICA. It has the highest degree of infection of the population with a retrovirus. It is believed that approximately a quarter of the population is affected by immunodeficiency. There are 5.6 million AIDS patients here. The state has a mortality rate from HIV of about 1 million people per year, 15% of the total number of citizens are infected.
India. AIDS has affected 2.4 million people here. In the country, the mortality index from immunodeficiency varies from 1% to 2% per year, the number of HIV-infected people is 10-12% of the population.
Kenya has the lowest rate of HIV (AIDS) in Africa. Statistics indicate 1.5 million patients. The country has a mortality index from a retrovirus of 0.75 million people, 7.5% of the population is infected with this pathogen.
Tanzania, Mozambique. There are 0.99-0.34 million people with AIDS here, depending on the region. These countries have a mortality rate from immunodeficiency of 0.2-0.5 million citizens per year, 8-12% of the population is infected.
USA, Uganda, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe. There are 1.2 million people with AIDS. These countries have a total HIV mortality rate of 0.3-0.4 million people per year, 5% of the population is infected.
Russia. There are 0.98 million people living with HIV in Russia. The mortality rate from AIDS reaches a level of slightly less than 3-4% of all cases. The most HIV-infected city in Russia is Yekaterinburg. It is believed that one in 50 city residents is infected with the retrovirus.
Uzbekistan. 32,743 people are affected by the infection in Uzbekistan. Of these, 57% are men.
Azerbaijan. The number of HIV (AIDS) patients in Azerbaijan is 131 people. Of these, 36 are women and 95 are men.
United Arab Emirates. Recently, the detection of HIV infection among Arabs has increased. According to the latest data, the incidence index is 350-370 thousand per 367 million population.

HIV (AIDS) in Kazakhstan

According to the latest report, HIV infections in Kazakhstan are 0.01%. At the end of 2016, 22,474 cases of infection were registered. 16,530 people with AIDS have been identified. Among the total number, infected men make up 69%, women - 31%. Although females make up a smaller share among those infected, their number is gradually growing. The government is actively involved in HIV (AIDS) treatment in Kazakhstan. The effectiveness of the program is evidenced by:

increasing the number of early detection of patients;

an increase in the number of patients who received antiretroviral therapy;

reduction in the birth rate of infected children.

HIV in the USA

The number of people living with HIV in the United States is growing every year. The country has a high level of economy, which contributes to the early detection of infected people and the appointment of adequate treatment in the initial stages of the disease. This helps reduce the aggressiveness of the virus, prolong life and improve its quality.

How many people are infected with HIV in the USA? In America, immunodeficiency is more common among homosexuals. It is believed that there are about 2.6 million carriers of the infection living in the United States. But the high level of medical care allows such patients to be well taken care of, making their lives the same as those of healthy people.

How common is HIV in Russia?

AIDS in Russia has not yet achieved epidemic status, but growing rates indicate the possibility of rapid progression of infection among people in the country. HIV infection in Russia is considered one of the most dangerous pathologies, because there is no vaccine to prevent it, and only self-awareness of citizens can lead to a decrease in the incidence rate.

Where did AIDS come to Russia? The first confirmed case of immunodeficiency was discovered in Moscow in the family of a long-distance sailor. After a 9-month business trip to hot countries, he was already in his hometown hospitalized in a hospital with Pneumocystis pneumonia, which very often affects infected people due to a decrease in the barrier function of the immune system. The examination revealed human immunodeficiency virus. The man died a few months later, and his family had to move to the other end of the country and change their last names so that ill-wishers would not find them.

Since this period, the level of HIV incidence in Russia has been gradually increasing, violating standard indicators of public health and reducing its working capacity.

How many HIV-infected people are there in Russia? At the end of 2016, the quantitative index among those infected with the retrovirus was 0.98 million. This number is considered one of the lowest in the world, while AIDS mortality in the Russian Federation remains stable at an average level. In the regions of Russia, the situation with HIV incidence is different. This is due to several factors:

Religiosity.
Population of the region.
Economic significance.
Quality of medical equipment and service.

How many people have HIV (AIDS) in Russia? The largest figure is in the Ural Federal District. The incidence rate is the highest numerically among other regions of the country. It is 757.2 infected per 100 thousand population.

The Siberian Federal District has an incidence index of 532 infected people per 100 thousand citizens. Volga Federal District - 424 patients for the same number of population.

Among all the federal districts of the country, the North Caucasus Federal District has the lowest indicator, here the level is 58 people per 100 thousand population.

The number of AIDS patients in Russia in the Far Eastern Federal District is 172 infected. How many people suffer from HIV (AIDS) in Russia in the Northwestern region? The incidence index in this district is 407 patients per 100 thousand population.

The number of HIV and AIDS-infected people in Russia is progressing upward every year, so only prevention measures can reduce the incidence among citizens of the Russian Federation.

Thanks to standards for the treatment of immunodeficiency, the state program for detection and therapeutic assistance, the number of patients with HIV infection (AIDS) in Russia has decreased slightly. The rate of births of infected children has decreased, which indicates the early detection of the retrovirus in pregnant women and the provision of correct and effective treatment to them.

Thanks to the simplification of testing for retroviruses and constant screening of the population, the dynamics of HIV disease in Russia tends to reduce mortality rates. Some facts indicate that the number of carriers of the pathogen is increasing. But upon closer examination, it turns out that the number of citizens examined is growing every year, and this leads to an overestimation of the absolute incidence rate.

There is no need to be afraid that there are a million HIV-infected people in Russia. If you adhere to basic personal hygiene and prevention methods, the risk of infection approaches zero. You need to know that the best means of protection against infection with a retrovirus are barrier contraceptives and sterile instruments.

Thanks to HIV statistics, it is possible to track the number of people who suffer from this disease and, on this basis, prepare preventive and therapeutic measures. The problem of HIV in Russia is very urgent. Recently, there has been a real HIV epidemic in Russia, which requires the correct development of methods for treating the pathology.

If the pathology is not treated in a timely manner, there is a rapid development of AIDS in the world. The disease is characterized by gradual progression and spread throughout the population. Statistics show that HIV is spreading rapidly around the world. The degree of HIV development in countries directly depends on their economic, moral and social development. In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the prevalence of the disease is at its highest level. Latin America is in second place. The third highest prevalence of HIV among adults by country is found in North America and Western and Central Europe.

HIV statistics in Russia are deplorable. Officially, this disease has been diagnosed in one million 200 thousand people. The number of HIV-infected people is increasing against the backdrop of various harmful habits - drug addiction, alcoholism. Among the countries of the world, HIV is diagnosed quite often in Russia.

The HIV incidence rate in Russia by city is quite high. People who live in St. Petersburg, Moscow, etc. most often suffer from the virus.

The main thing about preventing HIV and AIDS infection

In order to stop AIDS in Russia, it is necessary to carry out timely prevention. To reduce the number of people infected with HIV in Russia , The use of several directions is recommended. In order to limit the development of HIV infection in Russia, it is recommended to limit the amount of vertical transmission of pathology.

Vaccines are used to combat and prevent various infectious diseases. In order to reduce the spread of AIDS in Russia, it is also necessary to use vaccination. But, unfortunately, to date no effective preventive method has been developed.

In most cases, the pathological process is transmitted sexually. That is why various educational programs are being developed to teach people correct sexual behavior. They argue that by eliminating sexual intercourse without barrier contraception with untested partners, the incidence of infection is significantly reduced.

A variety of educational programs are quite effective. They talk about the peculiarities of the pathological process, as well as its complications. The programs are based on training and support methods, which makes it possible to reduce the individual risk of infection.

The risk of contracting the disease is directly affected by the type of contact. It can be sexual - vaginal and anal. The infection is also transmitted through injections. That is why it is often diagnosed in people who regularly take drugs. It is quite rare to diagnose an accidental infection with an infection that enters through wounds existing on the human body.

During the period of prevention of the pathological process, it is recommended to take into account the fact of vulnerability. This group includes people who, under various circumstances, cannot protect themselves from infection. In this case, constant monitoring of events in a person’s life is recommended. This significantly increases the possibility of dangerous contacts and human infection.

The occurrence of pathology is diagnosed only upon contact with an infected person. HIV infection is impossible through contact with animals and insects. The infection is contained in various fluids - vaginal secretions, blood, breast milk, semen. That is why there are three routes of infection:

Through blood. Transfusion of this fluid, tissue and organ transplantation are common causes of infection. The disease can be diagnosed when using non-sterile instruments during medical procedures and cosmetic procedures. If a person uses unsterile syringes to inject drugs, this can cause pathology.
From mother to child. When a child passes through the birth canal of an infected mother during childbearing, this can cause illness. One of the ways of transmission of infection is breastfeeding a newborn baby.
Unprotected sexual contact. Transmission of infection is observed not only in heterosexuals, but also in homosexuality.

People should remember that HIV is not transmitted through contact, through household items, food and money. With the simultaneous use of common personal belongings and premises, the development of a pathological process is not observed.

HIV infection is a fairly serious infectious process that is quite difficult to treat. The disease can lead to a variety of undesirable effects, one of which is death. That is why pathology prevention should be carried out regularly.

Statistics

HIV statistics are frightening. As of January 1, 2017, the number of people infected with HIV in Russia was 870,952 people. According to statistics on HIV in Russia, the disease is most often diagnosed in patients aged 30-39 years for men and 25-29 years for women. In recent years, there has been a more frequent diagnosis of the pathological process in adolescence and adolescence.

Data from official statistics on HIV and AIDS in Russia indicate the number of deaths that occur due to the disease. In the previous year, 30,550 deaths were recorded. In Russia, HIV statistics annually provide figures that are dynamically increasing.

If we look at HIV in Russia by region, the disease is most often diagnosed in the Sverdlovsk region. Irkutsk region is in second place, and Kemerovo region is in third place. Further, according to the degree of reduction in the spread of infection, HIV statistics indicate the following areas:

Chelyabinskaya;
Novosibirsk;
Ulyanovskaya, etc.

The percentage of HIV infected people in Russia is constantly increasing. HIV statistics in Russian cities provide information that the pathology develops most often in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sverdlovsk, Kemerovo, Chelyabinsk, Kaliningrad, etc. A sufficient number of HIV patients are in Ulyanovsk and Novosibirsk. The leaders in the spread of HIV infection in Russia are cities such as Orenburg and Tyumen. The incidence rate is increasing quite intensively in Tyumen and Samara.

If the pathological process is not treated in a timely manner, people often die. This year, 243,863 people died from AIDS. The top acquired immune deficiency syndrome ranking is opened by Tyva and Mordovia. The mortality and birth rates of children affected by the disease are constantly increasing.

How many people suffer from AIDS in Russia directly depends on the person’s age, region of residence and lifestyle.

conclusions

The number of AIDS patients in Russia is constantly increasing. Among residents of various countries, the prevalence of HIV is observed in the adult population. The disease is diagnosed most often in people who lead an immoral lifestyle. Country statistics confirm that AIDS is more common in people with immunodeficiency.

There are 1,114,815 registered cases of the disease in our country. At the same time, new detected cases of HIV infection are constantly registered. For every million infected people there are 700,000 deaths. Every fifth person infected with HIV dies. Treatment of HIV patients must be given due attention.

To reduce the growth of new cases of infection, it is recommended to carry out timely prevention of the disease. In this case, it is necessary to limit unverified sexual contacts between men and women. It is recommended to educate the most disadvantaged people through special educational programs. This will reduce the total number of infection carriers. To combat HIV, the patient must seek help from a doctor who, after conducting the appropriate diagnosis, will prescribe adequate treatment.

State of the spread of HIV in the world

Source of the disease.
Path of transmission.
Receptive population.

Prevalence of HIV infection (AIDS) in the world

How many HIV-infected people are there in the world?

Epidemiological situation of HIV infection in the world

Countries in which the incidence of immunodeficiency is rapidly increasing:

Brazil.
countries of Central Africa.
Haiti.
Indonesia.
Bangladesh.
Pakistan.
Mexico.
Great Britain.
Türkiye.

The ways in which AIDS spreads in countries around the world to some extent depend on the economic situation in the state and its policy towards HIV-infected people. There are such features:

The countries of the European Union, the USA, Australia and New Zealand are characterized by high early detection of the disease among the population. This is due to compulsory health insurance and relatively frequent high-quality medical examinations. Based on the results of the study, we can conclude that 80% of those infected were identified among homosexual men and drug addicts who use intravenous drugs. In childhood, the incidence is practically not recorded. This is due to timely and high-quality treatment of infected pregnant women, which prevents the vertical transmission of immunodeficiency (from a sick mother to a healthy fetus through the placenta, blood, breast milk). Cases of non-sexual transmission are practically never recorded in these countries.
For the countries of Africa and the adjacent warm islands, as well as the countries of the Caribbean, Indonesia, the rate of early detection of AIDS is very low. In these countries, the majority of patients are heterosexual. Their age is 18-38 years. Most of these people became infected through sexual contact with prostitutes. Studies show that more than 90% of them are infected with a retrovirus. In African countries, HIV transmission is often associated with sexual contact with an infected woman. More often, such intercourse additionally leads to diseases that are sexually transmitted. And genital ulcers that develop due to these pathologies lead to a higher likelihood of pathogen transmission. In such states, transfusion of blood and its products from an infected donor to a healthy recipient is not uncommon.
Countries where HIV was introduced relatively recently. These include Asia and Eastern Europe. Retrovirus infection here occurs primarily through sexual contact. The highest risk of infection is among people who have many sexual partners and do not neglect unprotected relationships with prostitutes.

HIV in Russia

Medical news in the world of HIV

Nowadays, the task of creating a vaccine against a retrovirus is in the first place for scientists. A huge amount of research work is now being carried out in the field of molecular microbiology, which undoubtedly brings humanity closer to creating a vaccine against AIDS. Despite this, there are a number of factors that prevent the possibility of obtaining such a drug:

High ability of the virus to mutate.
A variety of HIV strains (2 types are currently known).
The need to combat not only the retrovirus, but also infected cells of the body, as well as AIDS-associated infections.

AIDS is constantly spreading among the world's population, but it is not yet possible to cure it completely. Therefore, it is worth directing maximum efforts to prevent such a dangerous pathology.

According to the report announced at the Fifth International Conference on HIV, held in March 2016 in Moscow, the following ranking of 10 countries was compiled by the number of people infected with AIDS. The incidence of AIDS in these countries is so high that it has the status of an epidemic.

AIDS– acquired immune deficiency syndrome due to HIV infection. It is the last stage of the disease of an HIV-infected person, accompanied by the development of infection, tumor manifestations, general weakness and ultimately leads to death.

1.2 million patients out of 14 million population. Therefore, it is not surprising that the average life expectancy there is 38 years.

9th place. Russia

In 2016, in Russia, the number of people infected with AIDS exceeded 1 million people according to Russian health care, 1.4 million according to the EECAAC-2016 report. Moreover, the number of infected people has been actively growing over the past few years. For example: every 50th resident of Yekaterinburg is HIV positive.

In Russia, more than half of the patients became infected through a needle when injecting a drug. This route of infection is not the main route of infection for any country in the world. Why are there such statistics in Russia? Many say this is due to the shift away from the use of oral methadone as an injectable drug replacement.

Many people mistakenly believe that the problem of infection of drug addicts is only their problem; it is not so scary if the “scum of society” acquire diseases that lead to death. A person who uses drugs is not a monster who can be easily identified in a crowd. He has been leading a completely normal life for a long time. Therefore, spouses and children of drug addicts are often infected. Cases cannot be excluded when infection occurs in clinics and beauty salons after poor disinfection of instruments.

Until society realizes the real threat, until casual partners stop assessing the presence of STDs by eye, until the government changes its attitude towards drug addicts, we will rapidly rise in this ranking.

8th place. Kenya

6.7% of the population of this former English colony are HIV carriers, namely 1.4 million people. Moreover, the infection rate is higher among women, since the social level of the female population is low in Kenya. Perhaps the rather free morals of Kenyans also play a role - they approach sex easily.

7th place. Tanzania

Of the 49 million population of this African country, just over 5% (1.5 million) have AIDS. There are areas where the infection rate exceeds 10%: these are Njobe, far from tourist routes, and the capital of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam.

6th place. Uganda

The government of this country is making great efforts to combat the HIV problem. For example, if in 2011 there were 28 thousand children born with HIV, then in 2015 – 3.4 thousand. The number of new infections in adults also decreased by 50%. The 24-year-old king of Toro (one of the regions of Uganda) took control of the epidemic into his own hands and promised to stop the epidemic by 2030. There are one and a half million cases in this country.

5th place. Mozambique

More than 10% of the population (1.5 million people) are infected with HIV, and the country does not have its own resources to fight the disease. About 0.6 million children in this country are orphans due to the death of their parents from AIDS.

4th place. Zimbabwe

1.6 million infected per 13 million inhabitants. Widespread prostitution, lack of basic knowledge about contraception and general poverty led to these figures.

3rd place. India

Official figures are about 2 million patients, unofficial figures are much higher. Traditional Indian society is quite closed; many people keep silent about health problems. There is practically no educational work with young people; talking about condoms in schools is unethical. Hence, there is almost complete illiteracy in matters of contraception, which distinguishes this country from African countries, where getting condoms is not a problem. According to surveys, 60% of Indian women have never heard of AIDS.

2nd place. Nigeria

3.4 million HIV patients out of 146 million population, less than 5% of the population. The number of infected women is higher than men. Since there is no free healthcare in the country, the worst situation is in the poor.

1 place. South Africa

Country with the highest incidence of AIDS. Approximately 15% of the population is infected with the virus (6.3 million). About a quarter of high school girls already have HIV. Life expectancy is 45 years. Imagine a country where few people have grandparents. Scary? Although South Africa is recognized as the most economically developed country in Africa, most of the population lives below the poverty line. The government is doing a lot of work to curb the spread of AIDS; free condoms and testing are provided. However, poor people are convinced that AIDS is a white invention, just like condoms, and therefore both should be avoided.

Bordering South Africa, Swaziland is a country with a population of 1.2 million people, half of whom are HIV-positive. The average Swazilander does not live to be 37 years old.

Of all the countries in the world, the highest growth rate in the number of new cases of HIV infection (human immunodeficiency virus) was recorded in Russia. This was stated by Deborah Birx, coordinator of global AIDS programs, speaking at the US State Department on the occasion of World AIDS Day, celebrated annually on December 1. She stated that “the largest increase in the number of new HIV infections worldwide is observed in Russia due to an insufficient response in the fight against the breadth and depth of the epidemic in the country.”

She did not provide any numbers or data to support her words. However, official statistics confirm these words of a representative of the US State Department. At the beginning of 2017, there were approximately 36.7 million people living with HIV worldwide, mostly in developing countries, including African countries. Of these, Russia accounts for about 900 thousand infected, according to official statistics. The real figures in the Russian Federation, according to domestic experts, are .

In 2016, 1.8 million new infections were recorded worldwide, in other words, about five thousand people become infected with HIV every day on the planet - one every 17 seconds. In Russia, the annual increase in the number of new cases of virus infection is on average 10%: in 2014 - 89,808 cases of new infections, in 2015 - 98,232 new infections, in 2016 - 103,438 cases. And this year will be no exception. Mortality from HIV infection, according to Rosstat, in Russia is also increasing annually: in 2014 - 12,540 deaths, in 2015 - 15,520, in 2016 - 18,575 deaths.

The World Health Organization (WHO), which has been keeping HIV statistics by region since data collection and analysis began in the 1980s, reports that the total number of people infected in the European Region has reached 2,167,684, including 1,114,815 cases reported in Russia.

Over the past year, according to WHO, in the European region it was recorded 160 thousand new cases- this is the maximum in the entire history of observations. The European region is the only one where the number of new infections is increasing. But this does not mean that these ominous data apply to Europe. WHO statistics “for the European Region” unite 53 countries with a population of almost 900 million people - in addition to the countries of the European Economic Area (EU/EEA), it also includes Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Russia.

In the EU countries themselves, only 29 thousand new HIV infections were recorded last year. Russia spoils the “European statistics”, since out of the total regional figure of 160 thousand, more than 103 thousand cases are in our country.

A joint report by WHO and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said this is the highest number of cases reported in one year. “If the trend continues, we will not be able to meet the target of stopping the spread of the HIV epidemic by 2030,” says Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

Russia also recorded the highest incidence rates in 2016 - 70.6 cases per 100,000 population, in Ukraine this figure was 33.7 per 100 thousand, in Belarus - 25.2, in Moldova - 20.5. The number of new HIV infections diagnosed in Russia and Ukraine accounts for 73% of the number of infections in the European Region and 92% of the total in the eastern part of the European Region.

In 2014, more than 142,000 new cases of HIV infection were recorded in the European region (of which 89,808 cases were in the Russian Federation), in 2015 - 153,407 (of which 98,232 were in the Russian Federation). By the end of 2017, there will also be at least 100 thousand new infections in Russia, says the head of the Federal Scientific and Methodological Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS, Vadim Pokrovsky.

According to him, the number of deaths due to HIV-positive status is also growing. “Last year, 18.5 thousand people, according to Rosstat, died from AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). In fact, more than 30 thousand people with HIV died, but why the remaining 15 thousand died is a question that requires study,” - Pokrovsky said.

It cannot be said that the increase in morbidity in Russia is decreasing; we can only talk about a decrease in the increase in new cases. “Our growth is not decreasing, but as it was, remains the same, and increases,” says Vadim Pokrovsky, head of the scientific and methodological Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS.

Since 2016, the Ministry of Health has only taken into account non-anonymous infected people - those who took tests in government medical institutions with a passport and insurance certificate in hand. There were 86,800 of these in 2016 compared to 100,000 in 2015. And taking into account anonymous tests, Rospotrebnadzor in 2016 counted 125,000 new cases of laboratory confirmation of HIV infection. Thus, the Ministry of Health turned a blind eye to at least 20% of those infected. And a considerable part of HIV-infected people do not yet know about their diagnosis, since the latent form can last 10-20 years.

At the same time, there is not enough money in the state budget for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. WHO recommends immunodeficiency virus-suppressing antiretroviral therapy (ARV) for everyone diagnosed with HIV, while in Russia the coverage of ARV therapy is 46% of the 650,000 people with HIV registered by the Ministry of Health, or 33% of the 900,000 living carriers of the virus registered Rospotrebnadzor as of the end of 2016.

State strategy of the Russian Federation to combat HIV: there is no prevention, they only identify those already infected

Let us recall that the state strategy to combat the spread of HIV, adopted by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, set the goal of increasing the coverage of antiretroviral therapy (ARV), which suppresses the immunodeficiency virus, to 90% of all infected people by 2020 - this would make it possible to stop the epidemic.

However, it is not easy for Russian citizens to receive such treatment, and in rural areas it is completely unrealistic; patients are given medications that are far from the most modern, with a large number of side effects, and mostly generics - medications that differ in composition from the original medicine both in the amount of active substance and by its quality.

In February 2015, due to the unfavorable dynamics of the spread of HIV infection in the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Health developed a strategy to combat AIDS until 2020. Officials planned to reduce prices for life-saving drugs for infected people through import substitution and the creation of cheaper Russian analogues.

But a Russian drug for the treatment of HIV will be registered, at best, only in 5-10 years, TASS reports. The development of the domestic gene therapy drug "Dinavir", which is being developed by a group of scientists from the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, is now only at the stage of preclinical trials.

As for existing medications, according to the head of the scientific and methodological Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS, Vadim Pokrovsky, only a quarter of patients receive them.

Despite the fact that the Russian government announced in April an increase in spending on the fight against AIDS, only 60 thousand people will feel the positive effect - “a drop of water on a hot stone,” Pokrovsky believes.

In general, according to him, in Russia there are no pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) programs, when antiretroviral drugs are taken by people with a potentially high risk of contracting HIV. There is no money for this, because there is not enough medicine even for already infected citizens. Against this background, the only working and officially approved concept in Russia is the “test and treat” strategy, recalls Medvestnik. “Prevention should prevent infections, but we identify those already infected, and more and more every year. At the same time, next year the State Duma is going to reduce the budget for the treatment of HIV infection from 17.5 to 16.5 billion rubles. Therefore, one should not be surprised that our epidemic is on the rise,” Pokrovsky believes.

“The Russian state does not stand on ceremony with those who criticize it. As soon as Pokrovsky complained about the insufficiently active fight against the epidemic, the Ministry of Health deprived the Federal AIDS Center of public funds in June of this year under a far-fetched pretext. Non-governmental organizations also face an increased number of obstacles. Many of them are forced to curtail their work, since, according to a law passed in 2012, they are required to register as “foreign agents,” recalls the Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung... By the way, in Switzerland the situation is almost stable - in 2016, the virus was found in 539 people there, in 2015 - 537.

Sex between men remains one of the main routes of HIV transmission

Despite the presence of specialized prevention programs in many European countries, sex between men continues to be the predominant route of HIV transmission in European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries.

In all previous years, cases of HIV diagnosis among men who have sex with men grew at an alarming rate - from 30% in 2005 to 42% in 2014.

According to the acting Director of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Andrea Ammon, to reduce these statistics, new strategies must be adopted, such as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and access to care for EU citizens living in other countries.

In Russia, the official statistics are different: 40% of all HIV-infected people are people of traditional sexual orientation, from 55% to 60% of those infected were infected as a result of drug use, and only less than 2% were infected through homosexual contacts.

However, these figures are again far from reality due to the fact that in Russia, due to the high level of condemnation, gays cannot even tell doctors that they have had same-sex contacts. "In AIDS centers there is a system of codes that are assigned to different groups. For men who have sex with men, it is 103. But they are given other codes, for example 105 (persons with promiscuity). And thus gays add to the statistics of the heterosexual path programs. But according to research by public organizations, every sixth gay man in Russia is already infected,” Evgeny Pisemsky, head of the Oryol NGO “Phoenix PLUS”, told Radio Liberty.

“Specialists in AIDS centers are well aware of such underestimated statistics. But they are always under the sword of Damocles of the law on so-called propaganda among minors and interpret it in such a way that “just in case, we won’t even mention it, otherwise we will be accused of propaganda.” homosexuality." But only real numbers could convince society that the problem exists," says Pisemsky.

According to the Open Institute of Health Foundation, the results of a 2017 biobehavioral study show that the average HIV infection rate among gay men in Russia is 18% (in Moscow - 13%, in St. Petersburg - 24%, in Yekaterinburg - 16%).

According to Pisemsky, the state will not be able to fight HIV without recognizing that it is spreading very quickly in this particular risk group. This means that no prevention is carried out in this environment, and gays themselves receive the misleading confidence that the HIV problem does not concern them.

Every second HIV-infected person is diagnosed at a late stage

Almost half of HIV infections across the European Region, which includes Russia, are diagnosed at a late stage: this increases the risks of poor health, death and HIV transmission.

The high number of AIDS cases in Russia and other Eastern European countries confirms that late diagnosis, delayed initiation of antiretroviral therapy and low treatment coverage contribute to the development of morbidity, the World Health Organization notes.

HIV/AIDS surveillance data from 2016 suggest that the likelihood of late diagnosis increases with age. Thus, 65% (63% in EU/EEA countries) of people over 50 years of age in the European Region were diagnosed with HIV infection at an advanced stage.

Testing for HIV infection for certain diseases, such as other sexually transmitted infections, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis and some types of cancer, can improve diagnostic quality.

According to Russian statistics, more than half (51%) of registered cases of HIV infection are diagnosed at a late stage of the disease.