MOSCOW, June 14 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Health and Social Development Minister Mikhail Zurabov and American Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Levitt have discussed cooperation in health protection.

The meeting was held within the framework of Levitt's Russian visit, the ministerial press service reports.

AIDS is among the main problems necessitating urgent joint efforts to be taken. Over 300,000 HIV cases, of which almost 13,000 are children below 14 years of age, are registered in Russia. In 72 percent of the cases, infection is transmitted by drug injections.

Levitt said that the anti-AIDS experience accumulated by the United States over the last decade could well be used in Russia. In order to work out joint approaches to preventing the spread of HIV Russia and American scientists plan cooperation in a neutral country, such as Ethiopia or Namibia.

In turn, Zurabov spoke of social matters, particularly the provision of housing for the population and the development of mortgage crediting, internal migration and related problems, the need to expand medical and social help. In focus was also the struggle against the production of counterfeit medicines.

Zurabov voiced much interest in the exchange of information on youth and family problems.