HIV Cases in Russia Soar 70 Percent
Saturday, September 11, 1999; 9:44 a.m. EDT
MOSCOW (AP) -- The number of HIV-positive cases registered in Russia jumped by 70 percent in the first eight months of 1999 as the disease spread rapidly among drug addicts, a news report said Saturday.
Health Minister Yuri Shevchenko said the majority of new HIV cases were registered among Moscow drug users, according to the Interfax news agency.
``Residents of Moscow and the Moscow region account for the unprecedented growth in HIV infection,'' he said. ``HIV hit the circle of the capital's drug users and the infection skyrocketed.''
Although he said cases were up 70 percent, Shevchenko did not give any figures for how many people in Russia have HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. But the Health Ministry said in early July that the country had 15,819 HIV cases.
Russian officials warn that the actual number of HIV cases may be up to 10 times higher than reported. The country has been slow to implement comprehensive diagnostic and treatment programs and is focusing on more immediate economic problems.