All of Russia's regions have been fully supplied with medication for the treatment of HIV and hepatitis strains B and C, Health Minister Tatyana Golikova said on Wednesday, following recent protests over the lack of supply.
She said 96% of the population under the planned government health care program for 2010 has been tested for HIV and hepatitis B and C.
Rallies were held across Russia earlier this fall to raise awareness of the shortage of anti-HIV medications in hospitals. According to Russia's Health Care Foundation, half of HIV-positive patients will not receive the life-saving drugs they need this year.
Shortages have been recorded in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tula, Ulyanovsk, Samara, Arkhangelsk, Vladimir, Saratov, Kaliningrad and other areas.
According to official statistics, there are more than 500,000 people living with HIV in Russia.
The government has earmarked more than 13.5 billion rubles ($430.6 million) to HIV treatment this year, and plans to raise the figure to 19 billion rubles ($606 million) in 2011.
MOSCOW, November 24 (RIA Novosti)
