31.01.2008 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Disproportionately low number of HIV-positive injection drug users receives antiretroviral treatment (ART) ("World Report 2008") [ID 22472]

"While Russia continues to make progress in making antiretroviral treatment (ART) available to people living with HIV, a disproportionately low number of HIV-positive injection drug users receives such treatment. The ban on the use of substitution therapy in treating injection drug users and, more generally, the poor quality of drug dependence treatment at state clinics are key barriers to improving injection drug users’ access to ART."

Document(s): Open document

12.2007 - Source: International Treatment Preparedness Coalition

Injection drug users, sex workers, men who have sex with men, prisoners, and migrants have poor access to health care resources and services; they are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection and face stigma and discrimination ("Missing the Target 5: Improving AIDS Drug Access and Advancing Health Care for All") [ID 21850]

"Access to services for marginalized groups: Poverty, powerlessness, and social discrimination continue to exacerbate the health problems of marginalized groups in Russia. Injection drug users (IDUs), sex workers (SW), men who have sex with men (MSM), prisoners, and migrants have poor access to health care resources and services. These individuals are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection, and face stigma and discrimination throughout society, including in the workplace and in medical institutions. While national funds for HIV increased substantially over the last years, funding for evidence-based prevention programs still mainly relies on international funding."

Document(s): Open document

15.10.2007 - Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies

Report on HIV/AIDS in Russia: The epidemic, risk groups, coinfections, government policy, recommendations ("HIV/AIDS in Russia") [ID 21372]

Document(s): Open document

18.07.2007 - Source: International Treatment Preparedness Coalition

Number of people receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) in Russia continues to rise, but number of those in need is growing even faster ("Missing the Target 4: Time is Running Out to End AIDS –Treatment and Prevention for All!") [ID 21851]

"The number of people receiving ART in Russia continues to rise, reaching about 19,000 as of May 2007. Yet at the same time the number of those in need is growing even faster, to 140,000 in April 2007 (as per WHO’s median estimate) from 100,000 a year earlier.
The main barriers to access continue to be:
• low public awareness of ART availability;
• underinvestment in targeted programs for vulnerable groups (notably IDUs, MSM, and sex workers);
• HIV-related stigma and discrimination, particularly toward members of vulnerable groups;
 • lack of client-centred services and the continued delivery of HIV services through a vertical structure;
• Limited support (training & salaries) for heath workers
• problems with pharmaceutical purchases and ensuring uninterrupted supplies;
• low levels of access to harm reduction services (such as needle/syringe exchange for IDUs); and
• limited treatment services for IDUs, who comprise the majority of those in need of ART. IDUs also face challenges stemming from the lack of opiate substitution therapy, which is still illegal in Russia."

Document(s): Open document

12.2006 - Source: World Health Organization

Epidemiological fact sheet on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (data on HIV/AIDS and STIs prevalence, health service and care indicators, prevention indicators) ("Epidemiological Fact Sheet on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections") [ID 21796]

"By the end of 2004, the Russian Federation had cumulatively registered 298 391 HIV cases, 1357 AIDS cases and 985 AIDS deaths. The country includes neither foreigners nor military personnel in these numbers; at the end of 2004, it had reported a cumulative number of 6137 foreigners who had been diagnosed with HIV. In the year 2004, Russian authorities reported 34 288 new HIV cases, 214 new AIDS cases and 165 AIDS deaths. Due to the size of the country as well as weaknesses in the health information systems used, there is also a considerable delay in reporting HIV/AIDS data. Other data quality issues have also been reported, including the fact that most HIV/AIDS data are based on mandatory testing that is often facility based, with little or no population-based behavioural or seroprevalence data. The number of people officially registered with HIV/AIDS in the Russian Federation has increased almost 100-fold in just eight years, from 3623 cases on 31 March 1997 to 318 394 in May 2005. (...)"

Document(s): Open document

14.11.2006 - Source: UK Home Office

Mixed record on combating HIV/AIDS; persons with HIV/AIDS often encountered discrimination in 2005 ("Operational Guidance Note: Russian Federation") [ID 21846]

"The authorities record on combating HIV/AIDS has been mixed. Although high-level officials paid considerably more attention to the problem in 2005 than in previous years and increased budget allocations to address HIV/AIDS-related concerns, steps to undo a 2004 measure to decriminalize small-scale possession of narcotic drugs threatened to undermine HIV prevention work.

Persons with HIV/AIDS often encountered discrimination in 2005. Federal AIDS law contains anti-discrimination provisions, but these were frequently not enforced. Human Rights Watch reported that HIV-positive mothers and their children faced discrimination in accessing healthcare, employment, and education. Persons with HIV/AIDS found themselves alienated from their families, employers, and medical service providers. For example, a 2003 study of 470 citizens with HIV found that 10 percent had been forced to leave home by their families, 30 percent had been refused health care and 10 percent had been fired."

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Persons with HIV/AIDS often encountered discrimination; antidiscrimination provisions were frequently not enforced ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46144],  [ID 11972]

"Persons with HIV/AIDS often encountered discrimination. Federal AIDS law contains antidiscrimination provisions, but these were frequently not enforced. HRW reported that HIV-positive mothers and their children faced discrimination in accessing healthcare, employment, and education. Persons with HIV/AIDS found themselves alienated from their families, employers, and medical service providers. For example, a 2003 study of 470 citizens with HIV found that 10 percent had been forced to leave home by their families, 30 percent had been refused health care and 10 percent had been fired."

Document(s): Open document

01.2006 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Increased budget allocations to address HIV/AIDS-related concerns, but steps to undo a 2004 measure to decriminalize small-scale possession of narcotic drugs threatened to undermine HIV prevention work ("World Report 2006") [#42318],  [ID 11973]

"The government’s record on combating HIV/AIDS has been mixed. Although high-level officials paid considerably more attention to the problem than in previous years and increased budget allocations to address HIV/AIDS-related concerns, steps to undo a 2004 measure to decriminalize small-scale possession of narcotic drugs threatened to undermine HIV prevention work. Criminalization of smallscale possession of narcotic drugs drives drug users away from HIV prevention services out of fear of police abuse and arrest, and exposes them to health risks in prison that would put them at risk of HIV or exacerbate existing HIV infection."

Document(s): Open document

12.2005 - Source: World Health Organization

At present, antiretroviral therapy is not provided consistently; most people needing treatment are marginalized and difficult to reach; important challenges are need to scale up coverage and secure funding for harm reduction programmes, and reduce cost of antiretroviral drugs ("Summary Country Profile for HIV/AIDS Treatment Scale-Up") [ID 21797]

"Antiretroviral therapy is only available through a limited number of federal and regional AIDS centres. National antiretroviral therapy guidelines are being developed. At present, the Russian Federation does not yet provide antiretroviral therapy consistently, and a broad range of monotherapy, double therapy and triple therapy is widely practised. (...) The Russian Federation has a well-developed government HIV/AIDS health service infrastructure including the Federal AIDS Center (responsible for federal HIV/AIDS guidelines, normative direction and epidemiology), 7 okrug (interregional) AIDS centres, 89 regional AIDS centres and 20 municipal AIDS centres. Each AIDS centre provides HIV/AIDS prevention, testing and counselling, treatment, surveillance and laboratory monitoring and has at least 50 staff representing a broad mix of professions, skills and experience. (...) Most people needing treatment are marginalized and difficult to reach (drug users, sex workers and men who have sex with men), requiring strategies for outreach, reducing stigma and supporting adherence. The most important challenges at the end of 2005 are the need to scale up coverage and secure funding for harm reduction programmes that include needle and syringe exchange and to remove the legal obstacles preventing the introduction of opioid substitution therapy as a key adjunct for effective delivery of antiretroviral therapy to injecting drug users. (...) Other major challenges include reducing the cost of antiretroviral drugs, including registering generics; strengthening organizations of people living with HIV/AIDS and support groups and nongovernmental organizations serving vulnerable populations; providing support for adherence to antiretroviral therapy, especially for vulnerable populations; and expanding the Essential Drugs List to include the full range of antiretroviral drugs to cover treatment regimens. A key gap exists in the antiretroviral therapy delivery system below the city and oblast levels, which is more significant for larger regions with dispersed populations in the rayons (districts). Other weaknesses include the inadequate quality and coverage of testing and counselling services. inadequate monitoring of the people receiving therapy and inadequate epidemiological surveillance systems."

Document(s): Open document

30.11.2005 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

According to UN report, Russia suffers the biggest HIV/AIDS epidemic in Europe: discrimination widespread ("Russia: HIV Strikes Hard At Young Women, Children") [#39913],  [ID 11974]

Document(s): Open document

10.2005 - Source: UK Home Office

People with HIV/AIDS often find themselves alienated from their families, their employers, and medical service providers ("Operation Guidance Note: Russian Federation") [#39393],  [ID 21847]

"People with HIV/AIDS often find themselves alienated from their families, their employers, and medical service providers. For instance, a 2003 study of 470 citizens with HIV found that: 10 percent had been forced to leave home by their families, 30 percent had been refused health care, 10 percent had been fired, and almost 50 percent were required by their doctors to give detailed personal information about their sex partners."

Document(s): Open document

15.07.2005 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Report focused on discrimination against HIV- positive mothers and their children ("Positively Abandoned: Stigma and Discrimination against HIV-Positive Mothers and their Children in Russia") [#34321],  [ID 11976]

Document(s): Open document
Pressemitteilung zum Bericht

15.07.2005 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Human Rights Watch report denounces discrimination and abuse of HIV-positive pregnant women, mothers and their children ("Russia: Report Denounces Discrimination Against Mothers and Children With HIV") [#34068],  [ID 11977]

Document(s): Open document

03.06.2005 - Source: Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly

The Russian Federation has the largest number of people living with HIV in the region, estimated at 860,000 (range: 420,000–1.4 million) ("Honouring of obligations and commitments by the Russian Federation [Doc. 10568]") [#32710],  [ID 11978]

"52. The Russian Federation has the largest number of people living with HIV in the region, estimated at 860,000 (range: 420,000–1.4 million). The picture is uneven; well over half of all reported cases of HIV infection come from just 10 of the 89 regions. Most drug users in Russia are male. But the proportion of females among new HIV cases is growing fast-up from one in four in 2001, to one in three just a year later. The trend is most obvious in parts of Russia where the epidemic is oldest, and this suggests that sexual intercourse has been playing an increasing role in transmission. From 1998 to 2002, HIV infection levels among pregnant women in Russia increased from less than 0.01% to 0.1% – a 10-fold increase. However, in St Petersburg, HIV seroprevalence increased from 0.013% in 1998 to 1.3% in 2002 – a 100-fold increase31. In recent times from 22 to 25 million HIV tests have been carried out in Russia per year, 10% on pregnant women.

53. The spread of HIV/AIDS could have calamitous effects on Russia's economy by brutally altering the structure of the population. The gross domestic product growth could decrease by up to 1% due to a higher mortality rate in the work force, while increased health expenditure for people living with AIDS could absorb up to 3% of the GDP. Russia's current population of about 144 million could fall as low as 100 million in a medium-case AIDS epidemic or 97 million by 2045 in a worst case scenario. Without the disease, the population is projected to be 117 million32"

Document(s): Open document

2005 - Source: UN Development Programme

Majority of HIV-infected Russians are young people with low income, mostly with experience of drug injecting; many do not have adequate access to medical services and face generally prejudiced attitude in society towards issues connected with HIV/AIDS ("Human Development Report 2005 - Russia in 2015: Development Goals and Policy Priorities") [ID 21866]

"Over the last 10 years HIV in Russia has spread mainly among IDUs (injection drug users). Infection has also been particularly prevalent among sex workers, prisoners, and men having sex with men. There is no clear indication as yet of large-scale spread of HIV/AIDS among the general population. However, HIV-infection is starting to spread more intensively heterosexually,especially via the so-called bridge population groups. These can include sexual partners of drug users, females having sex with bisexual males, and clients of sex workers. (...)

The majority of HIV-infected Russians are young people with low income, mostly with experience of drug injecting. Many of them do not have adequate access to medical services including ARV treatment, nor are they aware of their rights and obligations with respect to HIV infection. They face a generally prejudiced attitude in society towards issues connected with HIV/AIDS, mainly due to widespread lack of knowledge about HIV/AIDS, fear of the disease and disinformation. As a result, HIV-infected people very often find themselves isolated and forced into marginal strata of society. Many experts are worried that negative attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS, sometimes observed even among medical personnel, may lead to discrimination in access to life-saving treatment – this is especially true for those patients who became infected by using drugs and who represent the majority of people living with HIV/AIDS in Russia. Another potential obstacle for expansion of ARV therapy in Russia is legal restrictions on use of substitution therapy, which, by reducing intake of illegal opioids and normalizing the life of drug-dependant patients, helps to keep them in treatment programs."

Document(s): Open document

28.04.2004 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Report documenting harsh drug policies and routine police harassment of injection drug users—the population hit hardest by AIDS/ the harassment impedes their access or makes them afraid to seek basic HIV-prevention services ("Lessons Not Learned: Human Rights Abuses and HIV/AIDS in the Russian Federation") [#21804],  [ID 11979]

Document(s): Open document

05.2002 - Source: World Health Organization

HIV in Ingushetia ("00-05.2002 - WHO: Health Action in the north Caucasus") [ID 11982]

"Demography
According to the latest DRC/ASF survey data as of 30/04/2002, the number of IDPs staying in Ingushetia is 139 556 persons. Vulnerable IDPs: pregnant and nursing women, children under one year old, children under three years old, invalids, elderly without adequate support, orphans, half-orphans and people fully dependant on humanitarian assistance total 24 446.
Health facilities
The Ingushetian Republican Centre for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control was founded in 1996. The main activities of the centre are the clinical and laboratory diagnosis of HIV, epidemiology monitoring and HIV control. The centre registered 8 new cases of HIV infection in 1999 and 58 in 2000. Since the beginning of 2002, 42 new cases of HIV infection have been registered in the Republic of Ingushetia. There are now 272 HIV-infected patients in the republic. The increase in infected patients is attributable to the growth of intravenous drug use in Ingushetia, as 95% of the registered cases are active drug users. An immunology lab was set up in the centre at the end of 2000. At present it is not operational, due to a lack of testing equipment and reagents. The full set of equipment was supposed to be purchased as part of the local budget, but the funds have yet to be allocated. The cost of the needed equipment is approximately US $5000. This laboratory equipment would allow the determination of CD4 and CD8 cell counts in infected patients. HIV evaluation and the prescription of antiretroviral drugs are impossible without such counts. The centre’s inability to determine HIV status is one of the main reasons the federal government has refused to allocate free antiretroviral drugs to Ingushetia. Due to funding limitations, the AIDS centre cannot purchase these drugs itself. On the other hand, the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) lab is fully equipped and staffed with well-qualified personnel. The lab can diagnose the following infections: chlamydiosis, mycoplasmosis, ure aplasmosis, cytomegalovirus and toxoplasmosis. The centre needs two testing systems (Hoffmann –La Roche) per year to be able to detect HIV blood concentration. The purchase of these systems would enable the centre to carry out the quantitative detection of HIV RNA. A full assessment of the HIV situation in the region will be conducted by WHO and IOM experts at the end of June to determine not only medical and equipment needs, but also the best social and educational approach to prevention in the region."

Document(s): 00-05.2002 - WHO: Health Action in the north Caucasus