CCHDC estimates 18-39 HIV patients in Maldives

MALE, December 1 (HNS) – Centre for Community Health and Disease Control (CCHDC) has put the estimated number of HIV patients in the Maldives to 18-39.

A CCHDC press release said only three out of the 14 HIV patients discovered in the Maldives are alive.

The press release said a survey conducted in 2008 shows that actions that promote AIDS such as unsafe sex and needle sharing are increasing rapidly in the Maldives.

A 2009 report shows that over 33 million AIDS patients live in the world and some of the Asian countries Maldivians often visit are within the high-risk zones.

“Therefore, one of the main reasons of marking AIDS day is to create awareness about the status of the disease, the methods by which it spreads, and identifying viable methods with which to fight it,” the press release read.

This year’s AIDS Day slogan is “Universal Access and Human Rights.”

Despite the natural immunity against HIV found in a minority of people, no feasible cure has yet been found for the fatal disease. Awareness programs with the help of media are being carried out in the Maldives to mark the day.

Via Haveeru

Posted in: Health / HIV