Preventing and treating HIV in Saint Petersburg
UNAIDS - "According to the Centre for AIDS Prevention and Control in Saint Petersburg in the Russian Federation, fewer people are becoming infected with HIV in the city. “Ten years ago, Saint Petersburg was among the top five most affected cities in the Russian Federation. Now it is only the 14th most affected,” said Denis Gusev, Head Physician of the AIDS centre. “Saint Petersburg is the first urban metropolis in the Russian Federation where a steady decline in new HIV infections has been recorded,” added Vinay P. Saldana, Director, UNAIDS Regional Support Team for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
In 2017, there around 1750 people newly diagnosed with HIV in the city, compared to nearly 2200 in 2015. In total, about 42 000 people have been diagnosed as living with HIV in Saint Petersburg, 80% of whom access services at the Centre for AIDS Prevention and Control. The AIDS centre provides not only antiretroviral therapy, but also a full range of specialized medical care and HIV prevention services." (Photo: Smolny Сathedral. The twilight/Oleg Kovalenko/flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)