April 7, 2003—The World Bank approved a $150 million loan to the Russian Federation for the Tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS Control Project, which will help Russia protect its population and economy from uncontrolled epidemics of TB, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. It will support the Government’s Federal Program on "Prevention and Control of Social Diseases, 2002-2006."

"The rapidly growing number of people infected with TB and HIV pose daunting challenges to the country's social and economic development. This project is a sign of the Government's commitment to starting a more vigorous attack on these diseases," says Julian Schweitzer, World Bank Country Director for Russia.

This first-ever countrywide TB and HIV/AIDS project in Russia comes at a crucial juncture, since the country is experiencing one of the world’s fastest-growing HIV/AIDS epidemics that threatens the health of its citizens and the economy.

In addition, Russia is one of the 22 high-burden countries for TB in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis are increasing as a result of poorly treated cases of ordinary, drug-sensitive TB. They are difficult and expensive to treat.

Due to the potential for their spread within and beyond Russia, the situation has been described as a time bomb, or "Ebola with Wings."

Tackling these problems effectively requires approaches that often are not the same as established practices in Russia. As a result, reaching an agreement was more complex than in many other countries.

The project concept and design stress the local development of Russian strategies and standards, not pre-packaged protocols, with the understanding that those Russian strategies and standards would be consistent with current scientific evidence and WHO guidelines.

"The project marks a strategic shift in Russia’s approaches to TB and AIDS control on a large scale. Country ownership and technical rigor are crucial elements of this path-breaking project," says Olusoji Adeyi, Lead Health Specialist and Team Leader for the project.

Useful Links: Click here to read the full press release. Click here for more on HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia. Click here for more information on the World Bank's work in Russia.