The republican campaign for road users “Reduce Risks” took place in Vitebsk at Freedom Square.
During the campaign, traffic police inspectors from the Vitebsk regional executive committee and specialists from the department of HIV infection and viral hepatitis prevention of the Vitebsk regional center for hygiene, epidemiology, and public health distributed reflective elements, self-testing kits for HIV, and informational materials on HIV infection prevention to road users.
– In anticipation of World AIDS Day, which is observed on December 1, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Republican Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology conduct such events in all regional centers and the city of Molodechno, – explained Valentina Ananyeva, head of the department for HIV infection and parenteral viral hepatitis prevention at the regional center for hygiene, epidemiology, and public health. – The main goal is to inform the public, motivate safer behavior, knowledge of one's HIV status, and, of course, promote a healthy lifestyle.
... Employees of the Vitebsk regional executive committee traffic police, Major of Police Yulia Kaminskaya, Senior Lieutenant of Police Nikita Semenkov, and Senior Lieutenant of Police Maria Fedosova selectively stop road users. They offer to participate in the campaign and answer questions from specialists. It turns out that some drivers are mistaken in believing that young people are more susceptible to HIV infection. Medical statistics indicate that this disease is more frequently registered among people aged 30 to 49 years. Many of those surveyed are well-informed about precautionary measures and ways of transmission of the infection. Participants in the campaign are given souvenirs, self-testing kits for HIV, informational materials, and reflectors.
The testing using the proposed kit (which, by the way, can also be purchased at a pharmacy), explains Valentina Ananyeva, provides an approximate result to assess one's risks of infection if something is concerning. Further, in the case of a positive result, one should consult specialists. A definitive diagnosis can only be made through blood testing.
Regarding the HIV situation, a certain stabilization of the process can be noted, according to the specialist.
The situation in our region is one of the most favorable. From 1990 to November 1, 2025, there have been 2130 registered cases of HIV infection in the Vitebsk region; 1533 people are living with HIV. In the first 10 months of the current year, 78 new cases of HIV infection have been identified. All age groups of the population are involved in the epidemic process; however, the majority of citizens who are newly diagnosed with HIV infection in 2025 are in the age group of 30 to 59 years (79.4%). Throughout the observation period, the main route of transmission has been sexual – 84%. In the first 10 months of 2025, sexual transmission occurred in 89.7% of cases.
– The slogan for World AIDS Day this year is "Overcoming difficulties, change the strategy" which 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 prescribed treatment, following the regimen suggested by the doctor, and dispensary observation lead to a decrease in viral load to an undetectable level. Besides improving the quality of life for the patient, an important aspect is prevention. There is no complete cure, but the amount of virus decreases to such a level that the person is not a source of infection.
Treatment and testing for HIV are available and free. However, the only remaining issue is the formation of adherence to timely treatment, which will lead to the possibility of living with this serious infection as with other chronic diseases in a normal life until old age.