Eurasianet, citing UNAIDS, the United Nations AIDS program, notes that unsafe injections among drug-users are a leading cause of transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Eurasia, accounting for over one-quarter of new HIV infections. The data was reportedly released in conjunction with the 25th International AIDS Conference, which concluded in Munich, Germany on July 26.
With 140,000 new cases in 2023, Eurasia has seen a dramatic 20 percent increase in new infections over the past 13 years. Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan are among the hardest hit, accounting for 92 percent of newly diagnosed cases.
Experts contend that restrictive laws, aggressive policing, and stigma are helping to drive the uptick in cases in Eurasia. Only half of the 2.1 million people living with HIV in the region are on antiretroviral therapy. Only 42 percent of people living with HIV have suppressed viral loads, the lowest level in the world. Suppression reportedly prevents the spread of the disease. A statement released by UNAID notes that if people are pushed underground, the HIV response will not succeed.
Between 2010 and 2023, the number of AIDS-related deaths reportedly rose by 34 percent.
UNAIDS noted the “criminalization of small amounts of drug possession for personal use” in nearly half of the countries, the criminalization of sex work in all 16 countries of the region, and the penalization of HIV transmission in almost all countries. In Kyrgyzstan, 49 percent of respondents who inject drugs, and in Tajikistan, 32 percent of people living with HIV reported avoiding medical care because of stigma and discrimination.
In Russia, LGBTQI+ people faced “concerted attacks,” the USAID report said. At the same time, 94 percent of all new HIV cases in 2022 were among so-called “key populations”: people who use drugs, gay men and other men who have sex with men, sex workers, and people in prison.
“The barriers of stigma and discrimination need to be broken down,” said Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS. At the same time, the expansion of support initiatives, like the mentoring program can be part of the solution. Only 12 percent of resources go to prevention programs for “key populations.” Yet their transformative impact cannot be overstated, even for those who are not on the receiving end. “I am reborn from this work,” she said.
