Hiv/aids: Post-soviet Countries, Including Armenia, Show Rise In Cases

As for labor migrants, the spread of epidemics is conditioned by the fact that in Russia (where the overwhelming majority of Armenian migrants go) HIV prevention state programs are ineffective, and besides, there is no cooperation with the other countries in the region, said Khmel, adding that the number of HIV/AIDS patients dropped by two percent in the Ukraine in 2012, in particular the cases of virus transmission through infected syringe among drug addicts have been reduced. Ashot Gevorgyan, national program officer of the HIV/AIDS international alliance in Armenia, says in the country in 58 percent of cases HIV is transmitted through heterosexual intercourse; 32 percent is among drug users; and 2.1 percent is among homosexuals. Gevorgyan reports that Armenia has joined the European week of struggle against HIV/AIDS to launch on November 22, during which events will be held aimed at raising public awareness on the issue. Gevorgyan especially stressed the importance of free rapid HIV tests in Yerevan and the provinces (offering 99 percent accuracy in minutes time). Gevorgyan believes poor availability of home-use rapid HIV test kits in Armenia is a serious hindrance to timely diagnosis. He says everywhere else in the region they are using the rapid tests, while in Armenia, with the exception of very urgent cases when the test is required before blood-transfusion, one has to go to a clinic or a lab to take a blood test and wait for a week before learning the result. You wil...
Source: aids-write.org - Category: HIV AIDS Authors: Tags: current news aids news Source Type: blogs