The number of people infected with HIV is up in Slovakia. While 50 new cases were registered in 2012, this figure for last year was 80, the Sme daily wrote January 16.
Head of the National Referential Centre for HIV/AIDS Prevention Danica Staneková told the daily that people are not aware of the infection threat. The number of voluntary HIV tests has been dropping, she said. In 2010, more than 190,000 such tests were made, while two years later the number fell to 183,000. When taken as new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, Slovakia still reported the lowest number in the European Union for 2012 – only 0.9 cases per 100,000 people.
The statistics for the last year are still being processed, and so the figures might not be final, Staneková added. She also estimates that the real number of new HIV infection cases may increase three- to four-fold every year. Until September 30, 2013 there were 489 cases of HIV in total in Slovakia, of which 72 cases developed into AIDS and 41 people died. Records have been kept since 1985, according to Sme.
(Source: Sme)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
