ONLY 10% OF HIV POSITIVE PEOPLE WORLDWIDE ARE AWARE OF THEIR DISEASE

Noyan Tapan
Apr 18 2007

YEREVAN, APRIL 18, NOYAN TAPAN. A three-day consultation on the subject
"Improvement of Accesibility of Medical and Social-Medical Aid and
High-Quality Services for AIDS/HIV Patients" started in Yerevan on
April 18 on the initiative of the European Regional Office of the
World Health Organization (WHO).

According to Director of the Republican Center of AIDS Prevention
Samvel Grigorian, representatives of legislative, governmental,
social organizations of CIS countries, as well as of international
organizations are participating in the consultation. He said that
during the consultation, in particular proposals aimed at improving
HIV-related research and advisory services will be worked out.

In the words of S. Grigorian, HIV-related research and provision
of high-quality advisory services continues to be one of the major
health care problems in CIS countries. He noted that only 10% of HIV
positive people worldwide are aware of their disease.

The center director said that the number of persons undergoing medical
examination with the aim of diagnosing AIDS/HIV (free of charge) is
increasing in Armenia with every passing year, which is conditioned
by measures taken within the framework of the national program on
fight against AIDS/HIV. S. Grigorian noted that the program enabled to
increase accesibility of medical services in the country. For example,
there were only 3 points for HIV diagnosing in Armenia 5 years ago,
whereas now their number reaches 150.