On March 1, events dedicated to the All Siberian HIV prevention day will be held in Irkutsk Region, open days, free testing, seminars and lectures. The region remains one of Siberias leaders in new HIV cases, and last year more than 2 thousand infections were detected here. The campaign aims to draw attention to the problem and remind people of transmission routes, which are increasingly linked not only to injection drugs but also to sexual contact.

Events dedicated to the All-Siberian Day of HIV Prevention will take place in the Irkutsk Region on March 1. In terms of the number of new HIV infections, the Irkutsk Region leads among the regions of the Siberian Federal District and is among the top ten regions of Russia
Among other events, open days are planned at medical institutions, where everyone will be able to undergo free testing, as well as seminars and lectures.
According to Oleg Burdukovsky, chief physician of the Irkutsk Regional Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS and Infectious Diseases, the goal of the All-Siberian Day of HIV Prevention is to draw the attention of the general public to the problem of HIV.
Some events have already begun: the day before, a preventive campaign for students of Irkutsk educational institutions took place at the KDC “Khudozhestvenny.” An information campaign on HIV and AIDS is starting in the Irkutsk Region.
More than 2,000 new HIV infections were identified last year in the Irkutsk Region. According to Oleg Burdukovsky, a total of 26,454 HIV infections have been registered in the region.
As the main reason for the spread of HIV infection, doctors cite the use of injectable drugs. However, recently more and more people who are not in the risk group are learning about their positive HIV status. In the Irkutsk Region, more than 1% of pregnant women have such a diagnosis. In 51% of cases, the virus is transmitted sexually.