The number of HIV-positive cases among 30-40-year-olds in Russia has risen from 9% in 2000 to 36% in 2009, a health ministry official said on Tuesday.
However, cases of HIV/AIDS among younger people have decreased, according to Galina Chistyakova, the deputy director of the health ministry's sanitary and epidemiological welfare department.
The number of HIV-positive cases among people under 20 declined from 20% in 2004 to 2.9% in 2009, and among 20-30 year-olds from 64% to 46%, Chistyakova said.
"This means that our youth has become more serious about their health," she said.
According to official statistics, there were 568,217 people living with HIV in Russia as of October 1, 2010.
December 1 is World AIDS Day.
Rallies were held across Russia this fall over a nationwide shortage of anti-HIV drugs.
The government has earmarked over 13.5 billion rubles ($430.6 million) to HIV treatment this year, and aims to raise the figure to 19 billion rubles ($606 million) in 2011.
MOSCOW, November 30 (RIA Novosti)
