Agenda for Belarusian People’s Congress session on 18-19 December approved
During the event, traffic police inspectors of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee and specialists from the HIV Infection and PVG Prevention Department of the Vitebsk Regional Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Public Health distributed retroreflective elements, HIV self-testing kits, and informational materials on HIV prevention to road users.
– In anticipation of HIV Prevention Day, which is celebrated on December 1, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Republican Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology are holding such events in all regional centers and the city of Molodechno, – explained Valentina Ananyeva, head of the HIV Infection and Parenteral Viral Hepatitis Prevention Department of the Regional Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Public Health. – The main goal is to inform the public, motivate them towards safer behavior, encourage knowledge of their HIV status, and, of course, promote a healthy lifestyle.
... Traffic police officers of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Police Major Yulia Kaminskaya, Senior Police Lieutenant Nikita Semenkov, and Senior Police Lieutenant Maria Fedosova, selectively stop road users. They invite them to participate in the event and answer specialists' questions. It turns out that some drivers mistakenly believe that young people are more susceptible to HIV infection. Medical statistics indicate that this disease is more often registered in people aged 30-49. Many of those surveyed are well-informed about precautionary measures and transmission routes of the infection. Participants are given souvenirs, HIV self-testing kits, informational materials, and flickers.
Testing with the provided kit (which, by the way, can also be purchased at a pharmacy), explains Valentina Ananyeva, gives an approximate result to assess one's risks of infection if something is concerning. Further, in case of a positive result, one should consult specialists. A definitive diagnosis can only be made as a result of a blood test.
Regarding the HIV situation, we can speak of a certain stabilization of the process, the specialist believes.
The situation in our region is one of the most favorable. From 1990 to November 1, 2025, 2130 cases of HIV infection have been registered in the Vitebsk region; 1533 people living with HIV. Over 10 months of the current year, 78 new cases of HIV infection have been detected. All age groups of the population are involved in the epidemic process, however, the main proportion of citizens with newly diagnosed HIV infection in 2025 are people in the age group of 30-59 years (79.4%). Throughout the observation period, the main route of transmission has been sexual – 84%. For 10 months of 2025, sexual transmission occurred in 89.7% of cases.
– The motto of the HIV Prevention Day this year, "Overcoming difficulties, change strategy," calls for maintaining the achievements of previous years in combating the spread of this disease, – says Valentina Ananyeva. – Our task is to maximize the early detection of HIV infection. In this case, strict adherence to the prescribed treatment, following the regimen proposed by the doctor, and dispensary observation lead to the viral load dropping to an undetectable level. In addition to improving the patient's quality of life, prevention is an important aspect. There is no complete cure, but the amount of the virus is reduced to a level where the person is not a source of infection.
HIV treatment and testing are available and free of charge. However, the only issue that remains is the formation of adherence to timely treatment, which will lead to the possibility of living a normal life with this formidable infection, like with other chronic diseases, until old age.