A number of HIV infected people in the Moscow Region rose by 64.5% in January and February in comparison to the same period in 2010, Russia's sanitary watchdog said on Wednesday.
The Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare said currently the number of the HIV infected people in the Moscow Region stands at 29,337.
"However, as a result of the annually increased efforts to combat HIV, in 2010, the Moscow Region dropped out from the top ten Russian regions most affected by HIV and is now in 14th place," the watchdog said.
Last year, the government earmarked more than 13 billion rubles ($430 million) to HIV treatment and announced plans to raise the figure to 19 billion rubles ($606 million) this year.
According to official statistics, over half a million people have been registered to have HIV, while the actual figure may be higher.
MOSCOW, March 30 (RIA Novosti)
