More on Russia’s AIDS Apocalypse

The Washington Post‘s Post Global blog reports:

The HIV epidemic in Russian continues, despite the nation’s efforts to expand treatment. Unfortunately, those efforts aren’t focusing on the primary source of the problem — injecting drug users. If Moscow is serious about curbing the epidemic, it needs to sharpen its focus on that high-risk population in much the same way Thailand focused its HIV efforts on its own high-risk population, commercial sex workers.

First, some data that illustrates the problem.

EDITORIAL: Russia, Scorched by Global Warming, Ravaged by AIDS

EDITORIAL

Russia, Scorched by Global Warming, Ravaged by AIDS

Some Russophiles might be inclined to imagine that the phenomenon of “global warming” might be good for frigid, frozen Russia because it might thaw out vast swaths of unproductive territory and make them more fertile and habitable.

One problem with such a theory, of course, is that Russia’s population is dwindling by the day, expected to fall by one-third in the next half-century or so.  Which means that Russia can hardly manage to populate the territory it has now, much less new territory uncovered by global warming.

And now, scholar Paul Goble is reporting that in fact the whole notion is bogus.  He states:   “the Russian Federation will be more profoundly and negatively affected by global warming over the next 40 years than will any other country, a projection that Russian experts and officials say make it critical that Moscow take the lead both domestically and internationally to combat this trend.”

EDITORIAL: A Heedless Putin’s Russia, ravaged by AIDS

EDITORIAL

Heedless Putin’s Russia, ravaged by AIDS

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin hasn’t mentioned his nation’s HIV infection rate in more than four years.  Apparently, he thinks it’s no longer an issue. Either that, or he’s simply given up on the problem and, in classic neo-Soviet fashion, is sweeping it under the carpet.