The Ministry of Health called the estimated data of Rospotrebnadzor about 1.5 million HIV-infected

Aleksey Mazus, chief freelance specialist on HIV infection at the Russian Ministry of Health, called the data on 1.5 million HIV-infected people in Russia for 2021 “estimated”. Such data were presented by Vadim Pokrovsky, Head of the Specialized Research Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of AIDS at the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor. Mr Mazus claims that 850,000 Russians were living with HIV in 2021.

Aleksey Mazus referred to data from the federal state statistical observation form No. 61 “Information on HIV infection”. According to them, 851,754 Russians were living with HIV in 2021. 58,788 Russians were diagnosed with HIV infection for the first time in their lives. Information about these people is in the Federal Register of People Living with HIV, Mr. Mazus said.

According to the representative of the Ministry of Health, the data mentioned by Mr. Pokrovsky are not verifiable and are of an estimated nature. He believes that this information cannot “serve as objective indicators reflecting the current epidemiological situation.”

Earlier today, on November 1, Vadim Pokrovsky at the plenary session of the Intercession Readings said that 1% of the population (1.5 million Russians) live with HIV infection in Russia. According to the expert, the number of infected is growing. “Despite the fact that many are dying, the increase in the number of infected is obvious,” he said. According to his forecast, another 660 thousand new cases of HIV infection are expected from 2020 to 2030.

According to report Federal Scientific and Methodological Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS, 71 thousand new cases of HIV infection were detected in Russia in 2021, which is 1.4% less than in the same period of 2020. In 2021, 34 thousand people infected with HIV died, which is 5.9% more than in 2020. According to the same report, in 2021, the HIV incidence rate exceeded the national average in 30 regions.

In 2021, Natalya Ladnaya, an employee of the Federal Scientific and Methodological Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, said that the incidence of HIV infection per 100,000 people in Russia is 10 times higher than in all EU countries.

Anastasia Larina