Discussion centered on commemorating three and a half decades of HIV prevention through a scientific-practical conference.
In Yekaterinburg on May 29, Tatyana Savinova, the Deputy Governor and Minister of Health of the Sverdlovsk Region, inaugurated a two-day scientific-practical conference. The event, commemorating the 35th anniversary of the HIV prevention service in the region, saw the gathering of specialists from cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Irkutsk, Ufa, and others. Denis Pasler, the regional head, requested the conference.
The conference's agenda serves to discuss the State Strategy for Counteracting the Spread of HIV, evaluate the epidemiological situation in Russia and the Sverdlovsk region, explore diagnosis and treatment algorithms for HIV and related diseases like viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, mental disorders, and modern strategies for managing HIV-positive pregnancies to minimize mother-to-child transmission. The event also aims to improve interdisciplinary cooperation among specialists within the medical community and external partners in this complex and multifaceted work.
Sverdlovsk Region's advancement in the field of HIV prevention and treatment has made it one of the country's leaders in this area. In 2024, the coverage of the population with testing reached 39%, with nearly 2 million people examined.
Established in 1990, shortly after the first HIV case was detected in the USSR, the AIDS Service in Sverdlovsk Oblast has evolved from a small office within the regional hospital to a modern institution with a well-developed network of branches and an interdisciplinary approach to patient care. Antiretroviral therapy coverage has reached nearly 90%, with 53,000 people living with HIV receiving treatment.
High HIV rates among tuberculosis (TB) patients remain a challenge in the region. From 5% in 2006, HIV infection rates among TB patients in Sverdlovsk Oblast rose sharply to 40% in 2020, mirroring both the growing epidemic and improved diagnostic efforts. To address the issue, the region has implemented integrated screening strategies, improving early detection in vulnerable groups at higher risk of both infections.
As a testament to the region's dedication to controlling and managing the HIV epidemic, the Center for AIDS Prevention in Sverdlovsk has achieved notable success. The region's mother-to-child transmission rate of HIV has remained under 1%, thanks to an effective perinatal prevention system. The journey from full stigmatization of the diagnosis to acceptance of people living with HIV into the community of healthy individuals has been a significant achievement in the region.
Dr. Angelika Podymova, head physician of the AIDS Center, expressed pride in the region's progress in fighting HIV, acknowledging the hard work of a large team over the past 35 years. Previously, "Oblaastnaya Gazeta" reported on a preventive action called "Stop HIV Together" held in Tagil.
- Science continues to play a crucial role in combating medical-conditions such as HIV, viral hepatitis, and tuberculosis.
- The conference in Yekaterinburg underscored the need for exploring diagnosis and treatment algorithms for chronic-diseases like cancer and respiratory-conditions.
- Digestive-health and eye-health specialists were also present, discussing their respective roles in health-and-wellness.
- The conference highlighted the importance of addressing sexual-health and autoimmune-disorders in the context of HIV.
- Climate-change is a growing concern for medical-conditions, and its effects were touched upon during the discussions.
- Manufacturing industries were urged to adhere to health and safety standards to reduce risks associated with occupational-diseases.
- Mental-health, a critical aspect of overall health, was emphasized due to its link with HIV and other medical-conditions.
- Men's-health was addressed in the conference, focusing on specific health issues faced by men.
- Skin-care and therapies-and-treatments were also part of the discussion, with a focus on managing skin-conditions.
- Womens-health was comprehensively covered, including discussions on reproductive health and women's-specific chronic-diseases.
- The role of the industry in supporting research, innovation, and advancements in healthcare was emphasized.
- CBD, a prevalent topic in health-and-wellness, was discussed in relation to its potential benefits for neurological-disorders.
- Environmental-science was mentioned, underscoring the impact of environmental factors on health.
- Financial resources for healthcare and investing in health-related industries were considered crucial in the fight against chronic-diseases.
- Energy efficiency and sustainability in healthcare were discussed, with a focus on reducing carbon footprint and minimizing waste.
- Skin-conditions and how they intersect with HIV and other medical-conditions were explored in the conference.
- Space-and-astronomy briefly touched upon the potential implications of space exploration for human health.
- Retail industry's role in promoting health-and-wellness through products and services was highlighted.
- The importance of transportation in ensuring access to medical facilities and treatments was addressed.
- Cybersecurity was mentioned in the context of protecting sensitive health data.
- Lifestyle choices and their impact on health, including diet and exercise, were discussed.
- Fashion-and-beauty industries were urged to prioritize health and safety in their practices.
- Food-and-drink was discussed in relation to its impact on digestive-health and overall wellness.
- Wealth-management and personal-finance were touched upon, emphasizing the importance of financial stability for maintaining good health.
- Banking-and-insurance played a key role in healthcare funding and risk management.
- Fintech was mentioned as a potential game-changer in healthcare financing and access.
- Gadgets, data-and-cloud-computing, and technology were discussed in terms of their application in healthcare and research.
- Artificial-Intelligence and its potential to revolutionize healthcare, including diagnosis and treatments, were briefly touched upon. Relationships, pets, travel, cars, books, shopping, social-media, movies-and-tv, entertainment, celebrities, music, pop-culture, and their impact on health were not directly discussed in the conference.
