maandag 15 november 2010

Russia must legalise methadone to stop HIV-experts

Russia must legalise methadone to stop HIV-experts

* Russia has 1 million HIV-positive people-experts

* Russia not considering methadone treatment

- Russia must legalise methadone to stop an AIDS epidemic from spreading, with at least one million Russians infected with HIV, experts warned on Wednesday.

- Russia's epidemic will spread rapidly beyond drug users to the general population of 143 million through sexual activity unless preventative steps are taken.


- IAS says there are 1.5 million people with HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, two thirds of them in Russia. The government says there are just over 500,000 registered cases in Russia.

- Methadone, which is administered orally and widely used to treat opiate addiction, is illegal in Russia.


- Russia's chief said "There is no proof it works," and "It is nothing but another drug."

Michel Kazatchkine, executive director of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, said AIDS still carried heavy stigma in Russia and the government needed to address this.


"Something in society is malfunctioning and it is unable to talk aloud about weaknesses," he said.

“Many addicts in Russia are too afraid of getting harassed by police to get tested for HIV”


Russia's Onishchenko said 67,000 are receiving treatment at present, and that will rise to 107,000 people by 2011.


bron:http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LS910.htm

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