New HIV infections spiked more than 20 percent in Moscow last year

The number of new HIV infections is still rising rapidly in Moscow. According to data just released by Russia’s Health Ministry, the capital recorded 20.4 percent more HIV cases in 2017. The worst increase occurred in the Tambov region, where recorded HIV infections jumped 65.9 percent. Overall, from 2016 to 2017, the number of new recorded HIV cases across Russia dropped insignificantly from 86,900 to 85,800, says the Health Ministry.

According to the UN, Russia has experienced one of the world’s worst HIV outbreaks in recent years. The total number of people currently infected with HIV in Russia is believed to be roughly one million. Russia’s Federal AIDS Research Center says the Health Ministry’s figures are too low, arguing that the number of new HIV infections in 2017 was actually 104,400.