Belarus

Infectious diseases — Table I

Officially
registered 
cases
of  sexually
transmitted diseases
Officially
registered
Hepatitis C cases
Officially
registered
AIDS cases
Officially
registered
HIV/TB cases
Estimated
HIV cases
Officially
registered
HIV cases
No data250 000
(2015)1
5 094
(01.12.2015)2
271
(2014)3
29 000
[24 000-36 000]
(2014)4
15 069
(01.12.2015)5

HIV situation

As in many other countries in the region, Belarus’s HIV epidemic began among people with injecting drug use in 1996. In recent years, the percentage of new cases attributed to unprotected heterosexual contact has exceeded that attributed to injecting drug use. The internal policy of the country limits the number of international organisations and local non-governmental organisations working there, thus reducing the reach to vulnerable groups and the possibilities of bringing up-to-date technologies and evidence-based practices to the country.

The State Programme of HIV Prevention for 2001–2005 and 2004–2008 guarantees that all citizens have access to free, anonymous testing and counselling and free anti-retroviral treatment for all HIV-positive children and pregnant women. These programmes have also provided for the setup of anonymous counselling points for people with injecting drug use throughout the country. Most of the services, including anti-retrovirals, are provided for by a grant from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, with the UN office in Belarus acting as the principal recipient. However, access to treatment for vulnerable groups still remains a major issue. The cost of treatment is high, diagnostic capabilities in labs are low and procurement requirements are complicated.

At the moment AFEW-Ukraine has no projects in Belarus. Take a moment to see our previous projects in this country.