Reference: CEP20020515000133 Moscow Interfax in English 1021 GMT 15 May 02 HEALTH MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax) - As of today, 194,000 HIV cases have been registered in Russia, Federal AIDS Center director Vadim Pokrovsky said at an Interfax press conference on Wednesday. The number of HIV cases totaled around 177,000 in December 2001, Pokrovsky said. Thus, HIV cases are up by 17,000, he said. Furthermore, "HIV develops over a very long period of time. People become ill in seven or eight years, therefore, doctors cannot monitor all who have contracted the infection," he said. The government should take urgent measures to prevent and cure HIV and AIDS, he said. Otherwise, the surging epidemic could turn into "a national security threat," he said. Central Eurasia Russia Russia