Trends of HIV infection in the border zone of the Russian Federation on the example of the Belgorod region

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Abstract

Introduction. Currently, HIV infection remains a global public health issue. Border areas may be significant in the context of the HIV epidemic due to the instability of the population composition and constant migration flows, which, in turn, may affect the epidemic situation of several border states. This study aimed to analyse current trends of HIV infection in the border region of Russia on the example of the Belgorod region.

Materials and methods. The main HIV infection indicators: incidence, prevalence, mortality and lethality, testing and therapy coverage and its success were analysed. Also, we analysed sociodemographic and clinical-epidemiological characteristics among newly diagnosed HIV-infected patients; social status in relation to labour employment among all people living with HIV (PLWH) and the rates of testing and detection of HIV infection among foreign citizens. The data were obtained between 2016–2024. Quantitative data were assessed for normal distribution using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. The χ² test and the Spearman correlation coefficient (r) were employed to statistically evaluate the differences between the proportions. Subsequently, the statistical differences were assessed using the relevant criteria

Results. The data obtained show a significant downward trend in HIV incidence and upward trend in prevalence. The identified moderate upward trend in mortality, together with an analysis of the causes of death among people living with HIV (PLWH), highlight the necessity for multidisciplinary clinical monitoring of the aging cohort of PLWH. The coverage of HIV testing and therapy increased over time. For the first time, 95% therapy coverage was noted. Analysis of CD4-cell indicators revealed significant differences between subgroups by age and route of infection. A decrease in the proportion of unemployed in the PLWH population was noted. Moreover, the identified increase in the detection of HIV infection among the working population substantiates the importance of the existing workplace testing programs, as well as their continuation and expansion. The proportion of foreign citizens tested for HIV correlated with the number of tests performed (r = 0.883, p = 0.002): an increase in the coverage of foreign citizens with HIV-1 testing was accompanied by an increase in the proportion of detected HIV cases. It is important to take into account that a significant correlation does not exclude the influence of parameters not studied; it can be assumed that foreign citizens currently remain under-tested and the number of HIV-positive individuals may be somewhat underestimated.

Conclusions. A comprehensive study of HIV infection trends in a border region of Russia was conducted, using the Belgorod Region as an example. The results are of direct value to health authorities in the Belgorod region and can be used for planning and adjusting regional programs to combat HIV infection.

About the authors

Alexey I. Mazus

Moscow City Center for AIDS Prevention and Control

Email: mazus@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2581-1443

D. Sci. (Med.), Prof., Head

Russian Federation, Moscow

Irina V. Nikolaeva

Belgorod Center for AIDS Prevention and Control

Email: nikolaeva.irvl@yandex.ru

chief doctor

Russian Federation, Belgorod

Anastasiia A. Antonova

National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after the Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya

Author for correspondence.
Email: anastaseika95@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9180-9846

Cand. Sci. (Biol.), senior researcher, Leukemia virus laboratory

Russian Federation, Moscow

Anna I. Kuznetsova

National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after the Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya

Email: a-myznikova@list.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5299-3081

Cand. Sci. (Biol.), leading researcher, Head, Leukemia virus laboratory

Russian Federation, Moscow

Daria A. Ogarkova

National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after the Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya

Email: daria@ogarkova-dvorkina.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1152-4120

junior researcher, Laboratory of mechanisms of population variability of pathogenic microorganisms

Russian Federation, Moscow

Antonina A. Akimova

Belgorod Center for AIDS Prevention and Control

Email: aidsaepid@list.ru

Head, Department of prevention and epidemiology

Russian Federation, Belgorod

Andrei A. Pochtovyi

National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after the Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya; Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University

Email: a.pochtovyy@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-1107-9351

Cand. Sci. (Biol.), Head, Biotechnology laboratory, National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after the Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya; Associate Professor, Department of medical genetics and postgenomic technologies, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University

Russian Federation, Moscow; Moscow

Anatoliy S. Vinokurov

National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after the Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya

Email: anatol-vinok@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6848-3609

junior researcher, Biotechnology laboratory

Russian Federation, Moscow

Daria D. Kustova

National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after the Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya

Email: kustovadaria@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8382-275X

junior researcher, Laboratory of mechanisms of population variability of pathogenic microorganisms

Russian Federation, Moscow

Ruslan R. Adgamov

National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after the Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya

Email: bacter@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0002-7514-5944

researcher, Laboratory of mechanisms of population variability of pathogenic microorganisms

Russian Federation, Moscow

Elena V. Tsyganova

Moscow City Center for AIDS Prevention and Control

Email: tsyganovaelena@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3410-2510

Cand. Sci. (Med.), Head, Scientific and clinical department

Russian Federation, Moscow

Inna B. Kulikova

Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Email: kulikovaib@minzdrav.gov.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0003-4466-1396

Cand. Sci. (Med.), Director, Department of emergency medical assistance organisation and health risk management

Russian Federation, Moscow

Andrey N. Plutnitskiy

Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation; Federal Medical Biophysical Center Named after A.I. Burnazyan

Email: plunitsky@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2933-267X

Dr. Sci. (Med.), Deputy Minister of health of the Russian Federation; Head, Department of public health with a course in medical and social expertise, Medical and Biological University of Innovation and Continuing Education, Federal Medical Biophysical Center named after A.I. Burnazyan

Russian Federation, Moscow; Moscow

Vladimir A. Gushchin

National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after the Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya; Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University; Lomonosov Moscow State University

Email: wowaniada@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9397-3762

Dr. Sci. (Biol.), leading researcher, Head, Laboratory of mechanisms of population variability of pathogenic microorganisms, National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after the Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya; senior researcher, Department of virology, Lomonosov Moscow State University; Head, Department of medical genetics and postgenomic technologies, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University

Russian Federation, Moscow; Moscow; Moscow

Aleksander L. Gintsburg

National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after the Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya; Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University

Email: gintsburg@gamaleya.org
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-1769-5059

Dr. Sci. (Med.), Professor, RAS Full Member, Scientific supervisor, National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after the Honorary Academician N.F. Gamaleya; Head, Department of infectology and virology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University

Russian Federation, Moscow; Moscow

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Copyright (c) 2025 Mazus A.I., Nikolaeva I.V., Antonova A.A., Kuznetsova A.I., Ogarkova D.A., Akimova A.A., Pochtovyi A.A., Vinokurov A.S., Kustova D.D., Adgamov R.R., Tsyganova E.V., Kulikova I.B., Plutnitskiy A.N., Gushchin V.A., Gintsburg A.L.

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