Review of the HIV/AIDS situation in the Ukraine as of 01.07.05.

Data on HIV/AIDS in Ukraine (June 2005):

• The number of officially registered HIV cases as of June 1st, 2005: 81 560, among them 9 665 are children. According to the experts estimations the number of people living with HIV in Ukraine exceeds 1%. The number of AIDS cases is 10 676 adults and 360 kids.
• 6 351 adults and 165 kids died of AIDS. The peak of AIDS deaths were registered in 2004 and amounted to 1 775 (to compare: in 2000 there were 415). According to the experts estimations, the number of people died of AIDS starting from 1987 made up 20 000 people.
• 50% of all new HIV cases include youth aging from 20 to 29 years old.

Tendencies:

• Increase of new HIV cases transmitted by heterosexual way (in 2000 – 23%, in 2004 – 32,35%).
• Reduction of the number of injection drugs users in the total number of HIV+ people (in 1997 -76%, in 2004 – 71%).
• Increase in the number of new cases of HIV+ children born from HIV+ mothers (in 1995 – 99 kids, in 2004 – 2 293 kids).
• Increase of the number of HIV-infected women in the total number of HIV-positive people (in 1997 – 25%, in 2004 – 45%).

Situation in the world

• According to the WHO/UNAIDS by the end of 2004 there were 40 millions people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.
• 5 millions people contracted HIV only in 2004. Among them is 700 000 people less than 15 years old.
• About 3 millions people died of HIV/AIDS in 2004.
• HIV/AIDS ranges the fourth among other mortal diseases.

Situation in Ukraine

As for June 1st, 2005, 81 560 HIV/AIDS cases were officially registered in Ukraine. Among them were 9 665 kids.

According to experts estimations 1% of the population in Ukraine live with HIV/AIDS (approx. 360 000 people, other data states that prevalence rates is equal to 1,4% of the general population).

In many countries deeply affected by HIV/AIDS only one out of ten HIV-infected knows his status.

Ukraine today is at the first place in terms of HIV/AIDS prevalence rates among general population in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

In 2004 number of newly registered HIV/AIDS cases reached its peak - 12 491.

It means that on the average 32 new HIV/AIDS cases were registered every day.

According to the expert’s estimation, in 2004, more than 180 people contracted HIV/AIDS every day.

As to the experts estimations, if nothing will be done, from 4 to 10% of the total Ukrainian population would be HIV-infected by 2010.

The most affected regions are Dnepropetrovsk, Odessa, Nikolaev, Donetsk, Crimea and Kiev.

Ukrainian Center of prophilaxis and AIDS treatment reports 10 676 AIDS cases among adults and 360 AIDS cases among kids.                                                                        According to the official data, on June, the 1st, 2005 6 351 adults and 165 children died of AIDS since 1987.

According to the expert's estimations this figure equals to 20 000 AIDS deaths.

Ways of HIV/AIDS transmission: from the drug users to sexually active part of the population

Available data demonstrates that while injecting drug users remain the main risk group of HIV in Ukraine at present and represent majority of all HIV/AIDS cases, quantity of cases of heterosexual transmission is increasing.

Ways of HIV transmission in 2004:

• Through blood (mainly by using injection drugs) – 46,25%
• Heterosexual way – 32,35%
• From mother to child– 18,2%
• Not specified – 3,2%

To compare, ways of HIV transmission in 2000:

• Through blood (mainly by using injection drugs)– 62 %
• Heterosexual way– 23 %
• From mother to child– 11,7 %
• Not specified– 3,3%

In 1997, IDUs composed 76% out of the total number of HIV-positive people. Today this figure decreased to 71%. 

The dangerous tendency: HIV/AIDS affects women and youth

According to the official data the number of new cases of HIV-infected women increased from 25% in 1997 to almost 69% in 2004.

Youth from 20 to 29 years old accounts for 50% of all new HIV/AIDS cases.

The number of new HIV cases among  children increased from 28 cases in 1995 to 2 024 cases in 2004. As for June the 1st, 2005, 9 665 HIV-positive kids were registered.  

97% of HIV-positive kids contracted HIV from their mothers.

Access to treatment

In March 2005 1 647 people were on ARV treatment, 235 among them were kids. 

The treatment is available in Donetsk, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk, Nikolaev, Crimea, Kiev and in Lavra hospital (where HIV-positive people from different regions can receive treatment).

What these figures means for Ukraine (British Council estimations)

• 2.1 millions AIDS deaths by 2016 (3.1% decrease of the total population in Ukraine).
• The number of people living with HIV/AIDS (according to different estimations) may increase to 4%-10% among the general population of Ukraine.
• Increase of orphans kids including those HIV-infected (up to 77 000) that brings about delinquency rates growth.
• Annually decrease of the Gross Domestic Product by 1%.
• 50% of the State healthcare budget will be devoted to the HIV/AIDS by the year 2010.