Today, in the Armenian city of Gyumri, an HIV/AIDS information/advice center was opened with financial assistance from the United Nations. Experts state that due to the large numbers of residents from Shirak seeking work abroad, the number of confirmed cases of virus carriers has also gone up. According to Hovhannes Sadoyan, President of the 'Real World, Real People' NGO, Gyumri ranks second behind Yerevan in the number of HIV carriers. During the current year fifteen confirmed carriers have been registered.