Europe and Central Asia has fastest growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in the world

Though HIV/AIDS is growing fast in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region, concerted action now to keep the epidemic from spreading to the general population could prevent huge socioeconomic costs later, according to Averting AIDS Crises in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the World Bank's Regional Support Strategy launched today. "By acting now and mobilizing greater political commitment at the country level, governments and development partners could stave off major crises that would damage health as well as economic growth, the labor force and the welfare of households," said Shigeo Katsu, Vice President for the Europe and Central Asia Region (ECA). Over 1.2 million people are estimated to be living with HIV and AIDS in the region, with major variations across the 28 countries in the group. New HIV cases are growing faster in ECA than in any other region and must be considered alongside existing epidemics of injecting drug use, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and tuberculosis (TB). Young people are hardest hit, a matter of particular concern due to structural vulnerabilities and factors that put them at risk of infection. The report presents how the Bank is approaching the problem in the region (see box), describes the scope of the epidemic, and examines financial as well as sociopolitical and institutional constraints that impede success in fighting HIV/AIDS in ECA. If the HIV epidemic becomes generalized among economically active age groups, annual economic growth rates could decline by 0.5 to 1.0 percentage points. In addition, health expenditures could increase by 1-3 percent. Furthermore, the dependency ratio (the ratio of non-economically active to economically active people) could rise, straining social protection systems, especially in such countries as Belarus, Moldova and Russia, where fertility rates are already dropping.