New research reveals spike in HIV in Russia
Despite 200 people being diagnosed with condition each day, some say government is indifferent to problem.
New research has revealed an alarming spike in the number of HIV infections in Russia, with 200 people being diagnosed with the condition every day.
Vadim Pokrovsky, the head of Russia’s AIDS research centre, has said that instead of recognising a crisis – the government is indifferent to the problem.
“If we had 200 cases of diarrhoea at a children’s pioneer camp, the country’s head sanitation doctor would fly out immediately to save them,” Pokrovsky said.
“It would be frightening. Governors would run, helicopters would fly, the police would search for the source of infection, prosecutors would get to work.
“But here we are seeing that there is complete indifference to this situation.”
Al Jazeera’s Robin Forestier-Walker reports from Moscow.