E/C.12/1/Add.94 page 4 24. The Committee remains concerned about the high incidence of domestic violence and the fact that victims of domestic violence are not adequately protected under existing legislation. 25. The Committee is concerned that income disparities, which have further increased in the reporting period, affect the standard of living of a considerable part of Russian society, and that, despite economic recovery in the last years, the level of poverty in the State party has still not been brought down to the pre-1998 level. The Committee is also deeply concerned that, according to the most recent figures (2002), an estimated 35.8 million people, or 25 per cent of the population, live on an income below the minimum subsistence level. 26. The Committee remains concerned about the problem of street children in the major cities of the State party. The Committee is also deeply concerned about the growing number of orphaned children and children deprived of parental care. 27. The Committee notes with concern that homelessness is a growing problem in the State party. 28. The Committee is concerned about delays in the payment of compensation for houses destroyed during military operations in Chechnya. 29. The Committee is concerned about reports indicating maltreatment of conscripts in the armed forces as well as their sub-standard living conditions and lack of access to adequate food and health care. 30. The Committee is concerned about the precarious situation of more than 100,000 internally displaced persons from Chechnya living in Ingushetia. The Committee emphasizes in this respect its view that the closing down of tent camps without provision of alternative lodging would be in contravention of the Covenant. 31. The Committee is concerned about the general deterioration of the level of availability and accessibility of health care in the State party. The Committee also notes with concern that hospitals and clinics in poor regions often do not stock all essential drugs, and that, despite the constitutional guarantee of free medical care, many health clinics charge fees for their services and request patients to purchase medicaments. Furthermore, the Committee is concerned about the poor health status of northern indigenous peoples, the life expectancy of whom is estimated to be 15-20 years lower than the national average. 32. The Committee notes that the State party lacks federal legislation on the rights of patients concerning, inter alia, professional ethics and redress for medical errors. 33. The Committee remains concerned about the high incidence of tuberculosis in the State party, particularly in prisons, in the Republic of Chechnya and in the regions of the Far North, in particular among indigenous communities. 34. The Committee notes with concern the sharp increase in the HIV-infection rate during the last three years, the increasing incidence of HIV contracted through heterosexual contacts, and the increasing number of children born of HIV-positive mothers.