HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis in Central Asia

HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis in Central Asia: Country Profiles is part of the World Bank Working Paper series. These papers are published to communicate the results of the Bank's ongoing research and to stimulate public discussion. The countries of Central Asia are still at the earliest stages of an HIV/AIDS epidemic. However, there is cause for serious concern due to the steep growth of new HIV cases; the established related epidemics of injecting drug use, sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) and tuberculosis; a large proportion of youth in the population; and low levels of knowledge about the epidemics. The underlying causes for the interlinked epidemics are many including drug production in Afghanistan and its distribution throughout the Former Soviet Union; unemployment among youth; imprisonment for drug use; overcrowding in prisons; and striking levels of poverty. The World Bank initiated this study to address this impending crisis and assist in reducing the potentially devastating effect on human capital, economic development, and health systems reform. HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis in Central Asia was developed to inform Bank management and other stakeholders about the main characteristics of the epidemics in the subregion; to describe differences among the countries; and to develop an understanding of the main issues related to the prevention of HIV/AIDS and the control of