HIV Cases Skyrocket: 2023 Sees Surge in New Infections

An increasing number of new HIV cases have been detected among individuals aged 25 to 39 in 2023. It has also been found that the disease is on the rise among those over the age of 55.

The majority of new HIV cases were detected in individuals aged 25 to 39, accounting for 39.3% of cases.

Additionally, 27.2% were identified among those aged 40 to 54, according to data from the Ministry of Health for the period from December 1 to December 31, 2023.

The data also indicated that the number of new cases remains relatively high among individuals aged 15 to 24, while a new trend seems to be emerging among those over the age of 55, where the number of new HIV cases has been steadily increasing in recent years.

According to data compiled by the Ministry of Health, HIV is more prevalent among men than women. In fact, there were 224 new cases among men and 140 among women in December 2023.

Risk reduction programs such as syringe exchange and substitution therapy with methadone have helped to reduce the number of new HIV cases among at-risk populations.

However, a slight increase in new infections has been observed among intravenous drug users in 2023, representing a 42% increase compared to 2022 figures.

Source: Defi Media