Aids in Russia - Essay Example

Aids in Russia (Full December 7, 2005 In the introduction global statisticson AIDS are shown, then the main topic Aids in Russia starts off with the principle modes of infection of Aids in Russia, followed by discussion on various efforts being undertaken to carry out research in the finding a drug/vaccine in Russia. Also two ways to prevent transmission of Aids as per recent reports in IAVI are cited finally followed by Cited Reference. INTRODUCTION Graphically global figures depict a grave situation in respect of AIDS, which is attaining dangerous proportions. According to the statistics about 5.3 million people were HIV infected in the year 2000 with Sub-Saharan Africa showing about 70 percent cases and the Caribbean region depicting highest rate of infection in the world. Not to leave behind in Asia too the incidences of HIV infections showed a sharp rise along with certain countries of the former Soviet Union1. Today the situation is no good the global figure has crossed 37.8 million, of which 17 million are women and 2.1 million are children below 15 years3. In a report published in November 2005, the Moscow News stated that more than 330,000 AIDS cases were registered in Russia and an estimated 600,000 to 1 million are HIV carriers as stated by Viktor Pokrovsky in an offsite session held by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe commission for health and AIDS in Russia. Further Viktor Pokrovsky added that AIDS was on the rise in Siberia, Khanty-Mansiisk, the Urals and Irkutsk regions2. In a report published in April 2005, Olga Sharapova a senior official from the Health and Social Development Ministry stated that approximately 13,000 Russian children tested HIV positive3. Aids in Russia The spread of AIDS in Russia is mainly through sharing of non- sterile or contaminated needles of intravenous drug users (IDUs) leading to fresh HIV infections, 60 percent of cases are due to IDUs. Statistics showed a 22 fold rise between 1998 and 2002 among the pregnant Russian women, if the trend goes unchecked than by 2008, one in 25 Russians would be HIV positive4. Governments of US and UK along with the academic institutions are supporting the vaccine research related activities delving into various questions such as, who are the people infected Rapidity of spread of infection, How are the people getting infected i.e., transmission routes and Types (Clades) of HIV found in Russia etc4, The first "8 Plus Clinic" at the Biomedical Center in St. Petersburg has taken up studies which are co funded by the US HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) enrolling 520 HIV negative IDUs. "International partners are also hoping to strengthen Russian vaccine manufacturing capacity. One project aims to convert former bio-weapons facilities to medicine and vaccine production".4 But projects such as these are rare, since the annual spending for AIDS related work in Russia was just US $ 5.5 million in contrast to the US spending of about US $ 15 billion in 2002.4 Financial constraint is no more a primary barrier in Russia with two large GFATM (Global Fund to Fight AIDS,TB and Malaria) grants approved with US $34 million approved for Phase 1 (the initial two years) to begin in September 2005 focusing mainly on AIDS treatment, care and support, including the ART (Antiretroviral Treatment) provision. Russian presidential administration also announced that US $ 107 million stabilization fund for use in the year 2006 basically for HIV/AIDS treatment.5 In the year 2004 the annual cost of a first-line ART regimen in Russia fell to US $ 1,800 per patient annually in comparison US $ 12,000 in 2003 all this due to drug pricing requirements established by GFATM5. Dr Calzavara a member of Canada AIDS Russia Project (CARP) has adapted the Polaris study in Russian context to trace the growth of HIV, thus revealing 30,124 new infections in Russia in 2003 - this information being vital for effective prevention and treatment.6 While no vaccine is still in sight a report appearing in IAVI states that Male circumcision could be a potential HIV prevention strategy, according to Sheri Fink (2005), The French National Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis (ANRS) sponsored the study involving over 3000 volunteers in Orange Farm, an urban area within South Africa's Gauteng Province. The men were randomized to either receive circumcision immediately or defer the procedure for 21 months. Circumcision proved markedly protective. At the interim study evaluation three times fewer circumcised participants (18) had acquired HIV compared with control participants (51). The study's Data Safety and Monitoring Board halted the trial and offered circumcision to members of the control group.7 An analysis of more than 30 observational studies-cross-sectional, case-control and cohort-suggested that circumcision might reduce the risk of HIV infection by 42%. The suggestion made sense, biologically. "The foreskin has HIV target cells which make it easy for HIV transmission and acquisition," says Godfrey Kigozi, a co-principal investigator with the Rakai Health Sciences Program in southwestern Uganda.7 On the other hand efforts are afoot to avoid HIV transmission by using Herpes suppression drugs! How is that possible Answer is simple these drugs do not target HIV virus but fight off herpes, Simply suppressing genital herpes could be enough to substantially reduce an individual's risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV. Researchers have long known that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) play a role in HIV transmission. Now nearly a dozen clinical trials are investigating whether drugs that suppress a type of herpes virus (herpes simplex virus-2 or HSV-2) that causes genital herpes can reduce HIV transmission. 8. It is clear from the above discussion that though no vaccine or drug is in sight but prevention of transmission is possible by using various methods such as circumcision and a possible drug to suppress the herpes virus could possibly avoid transmission of Aids in addition to known methods of using condoms, avoiding sex with infected persons and using infected/contaminated needles. Thus we can conclude that "Ideally strategies that combine biology and behavior may provide greater gains in prevention than either would alone"8. Cited References 1. Steve Bende and Anthony S. Fauci.HIV prevention research: progress and challenges in the new millennium. AIDScience Vol. 1, No. 3, June 2001. Available from http://www.aidscience.org/Articles/AIDScience003.pdf 2. The Mosnews.com dated September 23, 2005. Over 330,000 AIDS Cases Registered in Russia. Available from http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/09/23/aidsinrussia.shtml 3. The Mosnews.com dated April 14, 2005. 13,000 Russian Children Are HIV-Positive. Available from http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/04/14/hivchildren.shtml 4. SPOTLIGHT: The search for an AIDS vaccine in Russia. Available from http://www.iavireport.org/Issues/0803/Russia-main.asp 5. International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC). MISSING THE TARGET A report on HIV/AIDS treatment access from the frontlines (November 2005). Available from http://www.aidstreatmentaccess.org/itpcfinal.pdf 6. HIV/AIDS (2005). Dr. Liviana Calzavara: Changing behaviours regarding HIV. Canadian Institute of Health Research. Available from: http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/28902.html 7. Cutting HIV transmission. IAVI Report (2005). Available from: http://www.iavireport.org/Issues/Issue9-3/circumcision.asp 8. SPOTLIGHT: HIV prevention in a pillVAX 3(11), November 2005, Available from: http://www.iavireport.org/Vax/CurrentVAX.asp Read More