Inaugurating the programme, UNAIDS Executive Director, Peter Piot said a sharp rise in the use of drug needles is propelling a crisis in Moscow. The United Nation's warning that Eastern Europe is on the brink of an AIDS epidemic, would not have come at a more appropriate time, when the infection rates among drug addicts in the entire former Communist countries are skyrocketing, threatening the population at large.

The UNAIDS report on the looming danger of the AIDS epidemic was specially released on Wednesday in Moscow to draw worldwide attention to the threat facing the former Soviet republic and Eastern European countries. According to the report, in Eastern Europe, 190,000 people are infected with HIV. Most alarmingly, an increase of 40,000 infected people was reported only in the last four months.

By far, Ukraine andRussia are the worst affected countries. In Ukraine, 110,000 people are believed to be HIV positive, rather than the 15,000 as cited in official statistics, said Piot.

In Russia, according to government figures, the number of people suffering from AIDS has increased from 158 in 1994 to 4,400 in 1997, but the real number is believed to be about 40,000.

``In Russia, where injecting drug and unsafe sex are fuelling the AIDS epidemic, it's time for young people to engage in AIDS prevention efforts and make their voices heard,'' said Gianni Murzi, UNICEF's Moscow representative.

According to Russia's Interior Ministery, about two million people in Russia, regularly take drugs. The programme by UNAIDS envisages support from the public and private sectors. It aims to increase awareness among the people through a campaign against needle sharing by drug addicts and promotion of condom use. The programme has already achieved success in some countries, for example, in Poland where AIDS spread earlier than otherEastern European countries.

However, in Russia, AIDS prevention workers have expressed the fear that the programme may run up against the new drug law which came into force last week. According to the new drug law, distribution of sterile syringes or advice to drug addicts might be treated by the police as incitement to take illegal drugs.

Recently, the Moscow city government, announced a new programme to put condom vending machines at railway stations and night spots to stem the spread of the HIV virus and other sexually transmitted diseases. Under the programme `Capsule of Love', about 1,000 American-made machines will start going up in the next few weeks to combat an alarming increase in venereal diseases.

By simply putting a 5-rouble coin into a machine, Muscovites will be able to purchase a package of three condoms made in Russia under Japanese licence.