Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Azerbaijan registered 40 new cases of human immunodeficient virus (HIV) spread for the past month.

The Ministry of Health informs that from 1987 to the end of 2009 the country registered 2,264 HIV-infected persons (as of 1st December 2009 the figure was 2,224 cases).

“Of them 2,174 (96%) HIV-infected are Azeri citizens and 90 (4%) are foreigners.  1,819 (83.7%) and 335 (16.3%) out of the local HIV-infected are males and females respectively. Number of persons who died of AIDS for this period reached 281. Disease of 447 HIV-infected persons who are Azerbaijani citizens entered the stage of AIDS,” the Ministry reports.

As a result, last year it was registered 455 HIV infections and 42 deaths.

The major part of disease contamination for the reported period occurred following use of infectious syringes used for drugs.

“62.2% of the HIV newly-infected persons contaminated themselves after use of infectious syringes for 2009. And since 1992 the figure made 62.6%,” it was reported. During 2009 the country registered 455 facts of AIDS infection (437 are Azerbaijani citizens), and rate of the persons who died of this disease was 42 persons. Disease of 99 HIV-infected persons entered the stage of AIDS,” it was reported.

HIV/AIDS epidemics has become wide-scale. The Health Ministry with Global Fund support is ongoing free-of-charge of treatment anti-tetrovirus (ARV) preparations in the Anti-AIDS Centre.

By the present 330 HIV-infected persons have been drawn to treatment in Azerbaijan, including 133 who started treating in 2009.

The Republican Anti-AIDS Centre is located at the address: 1/8, Mir-Gasimov Street; Tel: 494-99-24, E-mail: office@aids.az

01.02.2010 14:45