Paul Goble
Staunton, April 17 – Mikhail Murashko, Russia’s health minister, wants to test at least one in every three Russians for HIV and an even higher proportion among high-risk groups to identify those infected earlier when treatment is easier and likely to be more effective and thus reduce deathrates from this disease.
At present, nearly one percent of all Russian adults and as many as four percent among men between the ages of 40 and 45 are infected, figures that rival those in the hardest hit countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and that Russia is finding it difficult to combat because of shortages of the most effective medicines (ru.themoscowtimes.com/2026/04/17/-36-a193057).
By expanding testing, the minister suggests, Russia can cure more of those infected at an early stage when treatment is easier and requires fewer of the anti-retroviral drugs that are needed when HIV develops into full-blown AIDS, medicines that are not easily obtainable in Russia because of sanctions.
That Murashko has based his argument for an expansion in testing to the idea that it will lead to a reduction in the number of pre-mature deaths is significant: it shows how Kremlin worries about the demographic collapse of the country are now almost as compelling as a policy argument as are suggestions that this or that policy has national security implications.
Any expansion in testing, however, faces two major obstacles. On the one hand, there is certain to be massive resistance in the population to such tests just as there was earlier to covid vaccinations. And on the other, carrying out such a program will call attention to just how bad he HIV/AIDS problem in Russia has become, something the Kremlin does not want to advertise.
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