Extension of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome  (AIDS) is gaining momentum not only in Yekaterinburg, the fourth-largest city in Russia,  Director of Federal Scientific and Methodological Center for Prevention and Control of AIDS, Vadim Pokrovski, who is also the Deputy Director of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, told Life.

In his words, the epidemic is spread all over Russia, however “only one administrator had the courage to recognize that.” “The distribution is irregular here: the urban population is more affected. And where the urban population is higher than the rural one, the percentage of those affected is [also] higher; this is Povolzhie, Ural and Siberia. These are signs of general epidemic, which we have here and which the Russian Helath Ministry doesn’t want to recognize,” he said.

According to his information, one percent of Russian population is HIV-infected, that number amounting to 2.5 percent among 30-40-year olds.  Overall 270 new cases of HIV are registered daily, 50-60 people dying from AIDS per day. “What else is needed to speak of epidemic?” Pokrovksi said.

He noted that among the main problems in this sphere is the lack of medicines. “Now over 800,000 HIV-infected should be treated. 220,000 died, and according to estimated data another 500,000 have not yet been diagnosed,” Pokrovksi noted.

Earlier, information on AIDS epidemic in Yekaterinburg appeared in media. According to the First Deputy Head of Yekaterinburg Regional Healthcare Center, almost every 50th resident of the city is HIV infected.