Wait-and-see strategy

In 2014, over 80,000 new cases of HIV infection were notified in Russia; by the end of the year there were a total of 900,000 registered HIV/AIDS cases in the country. At the same time 175,000 HIV-infected patients have already died. By the end of 2014, only 170,000 HIV-positive patients had continuously received antiretroviral drugs that, suppressing HIV activity, not only prevent the development of AIDS, but also reduce the risk for distributing the virus. The number of new cases of HIV infection and deaths may be theoretically declined if the majority of Russian HIV-infected patients take antiretroviral drugs lifelong; but the mass use of these agents will require not only the increased financing of their purchases, but also the diversion of considerable healthcare resources, including a rise in the staff of trained infectiologists. The treatment coverage of HIV-infected patients, which is sufficient to achieve a preventive effect, is possible only when they are timely and completely detected, but it is unlikely to be feasible since HIV is most actively transmitted in the early phase of the disease when the latter is difficult to diagnose. To keep the HIV-infected on lifelong medication will also require considerable efforts. The HIV/AIDS situation may be fully stabilized, only by developing a national strategy against the epidemic, which involves a package of measures to inform and educate the entire population; special interventions among vulnerable populations; a comprehensive action on the found sources of infection. The implementation of this strategy will be able to require not only the participation of many ministries and departments, but also alterations in the current legislation.

HIV/AIDS, morbidity, mortality, prevention, treatment, treatment cost, strategy