Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The Associated Press - Wednesday, Nov. 24, 1999
Greg Myre, Associated Press Writer
For years, AIDS and HIV cases in Russia were only a tiny fraction of those in Western countries, due in part to the country's isolation during the Soviet era and the comparatively low level of drug use.
But with Russia's borders flung open, the country is now facing an epidemic in HIV cases. Health officials have been predicting such a surge for the past several years.
A total of 12,425 new HIV cases were registered in the first 11 months of this year, a figure larger than all the previous cases reported in Russia, said Arkadiusz Majszyk, the representative of U.N. AIDS in Russia.
"We are dealing with a very dynamic epidemic," Majszyk said in an interview Wednesday.
Russia has now recorded 23,509 cases of the HIV infection, the virus that causes AIDS, and 445 deaths from AIDS, according to the latest monthly update Majszyk received from the Russian Ministry of Health's center on AIDS and HIV.
The numbers are still much lower than in many Western nations, but they point to explosive growth in an impoverished country where the crumbling health system is ill-equipped to cope.
Also, the official figures capture only part of the problem, and the actual number of cases is estimated to be at least five times larger, according to Majszyk.
The Russian government and health officials displayed little interest in combating HIV and AIDS in the early 1990s, when the few recorded cases were limited mostly to homosexual men.
But drugs and prostitution have flourished in the lawless climate of post-Soviet Russia, and intravenous drug users now account for about 90 percent of new cases.
Russia's Health Ministry declined to comment on the latest report, saying it would be discussed at a news conference next week.
991124
AP991109
Copyright © 1999 - Associated Press. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the AP Permissions Desk.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1999. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1999. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .