site.bta195 New HIV Cases Registered in Bulgaria Since Start of 2014

195 New HIV Cases Registered in Bulgaria Since Start of 2014


Sofia, December 1 (BTA) - A total of 195 new cases of HIV
positive persons have been registered in Bulgaria since the
start of this year, said the head of the Program for Prevention
and Control of HIV/AIDS, Dr. Tonka Vurleva, during a Monday news
 conference in the Health Ministry, given on the occasion of
World AIDS Day.

The new HIV positive cases are broken down as follows: 82 per
cent are males (158 persons) and 18 per cent are females (37
persons). The oldest one is 73 years old and the youngest one is
 13. Dr. Vurleva explained that the most new infections are in
the 30-39 age group (42 per cent), while the share of new HIV
cases among people under 29 has decreased by 35 per cent,
compared to three years ago, when it stood at 50 per cent. The
regional distribution of cases is as follows: 94 in Sofia city
and region, 22 in Plovdiv, eleven in Varna, nine in Pazardjik,
eight in Bourgas and seven in Haskovo.

The two most vulnerable groups are homosexual men - 42 per cent
(82 persons) and intravenous drug users - 11.2 per cent (22
persons). The data shows that new infections in the latter group
 have decreased, while they have increased among the homosexual
and bisexual community. Dr. Vurleva said that around 30,000
pregnant women were tested for HIV since the beginning of the
year and five were found to be infected.

According to data of the National Program for Prevention and
Control of HIV/AIDS under the Health Ministry, a total of 2,025
people in Bulgaria have HIV or AIDS.

Deputy Health Minister Adam Persenski recalled that since 1998
the Health Ministry has been providing antiretroviral therapy
for all HIV/AIDS patients annually. He said that in 2015 there
will be financing from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria and, in addition to medications and
diagnostics, funds will be provided for prevention.