Ukraine to Tackle AIDS Epidemic

The global AIDS fund and the World Bank have pledged a total of $99 million to help the Ukrainian government fight the disease. A report by UNAIDS, published in July, found that HIV is spreading fastest in Ukraine and other European countries. In recent years it has also moved from injecting drug users to the wider population. One in four new cases of HIV in Ukraine occurs through heterosexual contact. Dr. Alexander Sidyatchenko, head of prevention and treatment of infectious diseases at Odessa Health Authority, said a large proportion of the money will be used to fund a public education campaign. Five years ago, just a handful of Ukrainians were infected with HIV. However, now 1 percent of the population has the disease.

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