Russia To Provide at Least 30,000 HIV-Positive People With Access to Antiretrovirals by 2007, Health Official Says
Russia plans to provide at least 30,000 HIV-positive people with access to antiretroviral drugs by 2007, Vadim Pokrovsky, head of Russia's federal AIDS research center, said on Wednesday, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (AFP/Yahoo! News, 11/8). To combat the country's HIV/AIDS epidemic, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a twentyfold increase in funding this year, which will provide $120 million for HIV/AIDS treatment. In addition, the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has pledged about $209 million over five years to increase access to HIV/AIDS treatment in Russia, and the country is in negotiations with pharmaceutical companies to decrease the price of drugs purchased in bulk with the Global Fund grant (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 10/10). The government provided 3,500 people with access to antiretrovirals last year, Pokrovsky said, adding that in many regions of the country, there are no qualified doctors to administer the drugs. Pokrovsky also said the number of medical centers that specialize in antiretroviral treatment is inadequate. By the end of this year, Russia aims to provide almost 10,000 HIV-positive people with access to antiretrovirals, Pokrovsky said, adding that the country in 2007 plans to increase that number to between 30,000 and 35,000 people (AFP/Yahoo! News, 11/9). There are about 940,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Russia (GlobalHealthFacts.org, 11/10).
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