Russia's HIV Explosion

Russian researchers warn that HIV infection is now a national threat to Russia.

Published

6 months ago

Categories

World, Health

Topics

Europe

Places

Russia

Transcript

Activists in Russia gather in front of a company that sells drugs and equipment for treating HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS. They want the prices lowered. In Russia, where there are 200 new cases every day, treatment is often beyond the means of those infected with the virus. By law the state should provide free treatment but in reality this often doesn't happen. Russia's Federal AIDS Research Centre says HIV has become a national threat, spreading beyond drug users. It said the number of people living with HIV in Russia had doubled over the last five years. There is no sign the situation will improve any time soon, and the Russian government is planning to cut the healthcare budget to curb spending.