IT IS STILL POSSIBLE TO CHECK HIV EPIDEMIC IN RUSSIA

MOSCOW, October 28 (RIA Novosti's commentator Olga Sobolevskaya) - "Russia is lucky that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) appeared here later than in Western Europe and the United States," Mikhail Narkevich, a deputy chairman of the Advisory Council on HIV, said at a roundtable meeting that took place on the sidelines on the Eurasian Media Leaders Summit on HIV/AIDS in Moscow yesterday. "The first HIV case was officially diagnosed in the USSR in March 1987," said Mr. Narkevich.

Mr. Narkevich believes the HIV epidemic is linked to the drug abuse epidemic. Some 60%-70% of new AIDS cases were due to drug injections, according to the expert. "However, I believe efforts being taken against drug abuse in Russia are only fiction. There are 3,5 to 5 million drug addicts in the country," said Mr. Narkevich.

If not checked the AIDS epidemic can affect the country's defense capacity, according to the expert. The labor force losses caused by the disease will threaten the objective of doubling GDP in 10 years' time, which was set by President Vladimir Putin.

Mr. Narkevich believes the state must display political will to make efforts to counter AIDS more effective. The state must be more engaged coordinating and monitoring relevant programs, noted the expert. The Advisory Council on HIV is doing its bit of work as it is an inter-sectoral body, according to the expert. However, decisions in this sphere have to be adopted at a higher level to make the efforts more effective, believes Mr. Narkevich.