AS IF a deep economic crisis was not
enough, Russians have to now contend
with the snowballing effect of the AIDS
epidemic. Earlier, as part of the Soviet
Union, the people led a comparatively
sequestered life with low levels of drug
abuse and conventional behaviour.
With the opening up of Russia, the
number of newly registered HIV carriers
has zoomed up.
"An AIDS epidemic has begun in our
country," said Vladimir Pokrovsky,
head of Russias AIDS-control centre. His gloomy prediction was that the number
Of HIV carriers was going to quintuple
every year till the end of the jentury.
The root cause of the sudden increase in
AIDS cases is being attributed to the fast
spread of drug abuse. Drug users now
account for nearly seven million of the
population.
Cash-strapped as the government
is, the AIDS control programme has
run into difficulties. For instance, a
programme to encourage the use of
contraceptives was put on hold and
may start only next year. Remarked
Pokrovsky, "As of today we have
not received a single rouble from the
budget this year."
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